Hear My Voice: Ginny Weasley's Journal
by Delphina Evans
Summary: During the summer she spends at Grimmauld Place, before her fourth year, Ginny records her thoughts in a journal. [COMPLETE]
1. June 30, 1995

**Hear My Voice: Ginny Weasley's Journal**

**By: Roxy Black**

**Summary: **During the summer before her fourth year, Ginny records her thoughts in a journal. I'm not as socially and emotionally inept as my brothers think I am. I just want them, and Harry, and all the others to realize that I'm not a little girl anymore.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Inspiration For The Title:**

"Oh, hello, Harry!" said Ron's younger sister, Ginny. "I thought I heard your voice."

-_Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_

* * *

June 30, 1995, The Burrow 

Okay. To start things off, I'd like to say that this is not a diary. I've had some bad experiences with diaries in the past, and I'd rather not mention them right now. I believe Hermione used the word "journal" when she shoved this little book in my hand at King's Cross. So that's what this is.

My journal.

Mum nearly had a heart attack when she saw me bringing this book into the house. She started shrieking about the previously mentioned diary experiences, but once Dad and I reassured her that the journal was from Hermione, she calmed down a bit.

I don't even know what to write in this thing. Does Hermione honestly expect me to know what to write!

My name is Ginny Weasley. I have red hair and brown

I don't need to explain anything to you. That's what I did when I was writing in that diary back in my first year, and it ended with me lying unconscious in a chamber deep in the heart of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So I'm not about to do that this time.

I guess I should describe my surroundings or something. Okay, here we go.

I'm in my bedroom, sitting on my bed, melting away in the sweltering heat. I'm writing in a You already know that. Even though I'm wearing extremely small shorts and a very thin tank top, I'm about to die of heat exhaustion.

My brothers Ron, Fred, and George are outside playing Quidditch. Rather, they're flying around on broomsticks, tossing rocks to each other. Percy's at the Ministry. Bill's coming to visit in a few days for a secret "thing" with Mum and Dad.

And I'm utterly bored and out of ideas on what to write about.

God, what would Ron say if he saw me writing in a journal? What would any of my brothers say? They'd probably start teasing me that I'm writing sappy love letters to Harry, or they'd start saying that I'm writing fantasies about him. Pathetic little gits. They all are.

I'm not as socially and emotionally inept as my brothers think I am. I just want them, and Harry, and all the others to realize that I'm not a little girl anymore. I want them to see that I'm becoming a young woman, and that I don't spend my days idling over fantasies and what not anymore. But, that's impossible, seeing as I have six brothers, and every last one of them thinks that I'm still six years old.

But my brothers are the least of my problems.

What exactly are my problems, you ask?

One of my problems is that the most powerful Dark wizard in over a century has just returned from the so-called dead, and I've been having nightmares about him ever since the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament.

But that's just one problem.

My other problem is that even though I have a boyfriend, I still might have feelings for Harry Potter, who just happens to be the boy who saw You-Know-Who return, and he just happens to be Ron's best friend. And I just happened to like Harry since the summer before my first year.

What would Hermione say if she knew I was writing about Harry in my journal? She would probably start ragging on about how I've got to move on from my little schoolgirl crush. But that's just it.

It wasn't just a schoolgirl crush to me. It was lo—

Gah! I promised myself I wouldn't start writing about Harry, but there I go again. Think about Michael. I must think about Michael.

Michael Corner is my boyfriend. Okay, so we just met in December and we hooked up in May, but I really like this boy. But I haven't told Ron, or any of my brothers, yet. They'd probably go starkers and start stalking Michael at Hogwarts once term starts again.

Oh. Mum's just come back from—wherever she was. She and Dad have been very secretive about their comings and goings ever since term ended. They won't tell me what they're doing, either. But Mum has warned me not to unpack my Hogwarts things, because "we're going somewhere safer for the summer".

Safer. The Burrow is safe, as far as I'm concerned, but maybe not safe enough for these times. I don't even want to worry about safety right now. I just want to have a relaxing summer, wherever I may be staying.

All right. I'm getting bored just sitting here, writing. I'm new to this whole journal thing, and I haven't got a clue why, but I want to give it a shot. So here I go. I'll write in here every day, as often as I can, and I'll write down everything. I won't miss anything.

So wish me luck, dear Journal. Wish that I may be attentive as possible during these times of near-war. Wish that I may convince everyone around me that I am a young woman.

And wish that I may finally get over Harry Potter.

Love, Yours truly, Sincerely, From,

-Ginny

So…how did you like the first chapter? I know, it's a bit short, but bare with me, people!

There will be roughly 62 entires in Ginny's journal, and I'm going to try and cover all of the days of her summer before her fourth year. Wish me luck!

And please review!

-Rox**  
**


	2. July 1, 1995

July 1, 1995, The Burrow

See? I did keep my promise! Hermione had better be proud of me.

Speaking of Hermione, I got a letter from her last night. Mum and Dumbledore have agreed that she will be staying with us over the summer-wherever we're going. Mum still won't tell any of us where we're staying, but she has told us this:

She and Dad belong to a secret society that was founded by Dumbledore back in the 70's, when You-Know-Who was first around. For the family's safety, we're all going to be staying at the society's headquarters, except for Charlie, because he'll be staying in Romania.

And everything else, Mum said, we will find out when we arrive-wherever we're going. This is getting annoying, but she seems very stressed out, and I really don't want to get on her bad side if we have to move somewhere.

Dad's at home today, degnoming the garden with Fred and George. He took a day off from work, but Percy refuses to skive off from the office. Dad says he's just trying to repair his reputation, because of what happened with Mr. Crouch.

But I say that he's kissing big fat Ministry butt big time.

I managed to get out of degnoming today. I told Mum I was tired, which is the honest truth: I was up all night because of another nightmare. She gave me a sympathetic look and sent me upstairs to bed. I think she knows I've been having scary dreams about You-Know-Who, but I didn't ask further.

Ron claims that he's doing "holiday work". Ha. He's probably sitting up there in his room, writing a letter to Hermione, trying to disguise his true feelings for her. Everyone knows it. Why doesn't he give it up? He's fallen head over heels for Miss Brainiac of the Year, Hermione Granger.

Oh. I just saw Errol fly past the window. Dad's coming in from the garden. I can hear him and Mum bustling downstairs in the kitchen. They're talking. They're calling Ron and I downstairs. I'll write more afterwards. Bye for now!

Later

Well, it's official. We're leaving for-wherever we're going-in two days. Talk about short notice! Ah, well, it's not like I was planning on doing anything important in two days.

Ron's really ticked, because he already unpacked all of his Hogwarts stuff, and now he has to pack it all up again, along with clothes and things like that for the rest of the summer. Ha! Didn't he hear Mum when she told us to leave everything packed? Guess not.

Fred and George are still down there, talking with Mum and Dad about something. Probably their joke shop, which they've been threatening to open ever since they got low scores on the O.W.L.S. exams last summer. They told me something about "Skiving Snack boxes". Maybe that's what their talking about.

Argh! Ron just came in here and asked if I had his new Chudley Cannons T-Shirt. Gross! As if I'd want to wear his t-shirt! Of course, I have it stashed underneath my bed, because the shirt was supposed to be for me anyway, but he called dibs on it while I wasn't looking. Stupid prat.

Then he wanted to know what I was writing. I looked up at him and I saw that glint in his eyes that told me he wanted to say, "Writing love letters to good old Harry, eh?" I glared at him and told him to shut his pie hole, unless I would tell Hermione what I heard him saying in his sleep two nights ago. The glint quickly disappeared and he walked away, muttering that he had just wanted his Cannons shirt back.

Mmm. Mum's making something for dinner, and it smells delicious. I wonder if she's still going to cook once we arrive at-wherever we're going. Hopefully we won't have to survive eating Muggle foods out of cans again. Dad nearly went nuts when he found out the cans were made of "aliminum".

I guess I should get a move on with packing my regular summer clothes in my Hogwarts trunk. But I just like it up here, on my bed, writing away. It's much cooler up here than it was last night, so I'm not burning up. Somehow, in all of this rushing around, I feel…peaceful?

Oh god. Hermione would break down into tears of joy if she saw me adoring writing. She's been trying to instill the love of writing in me ever since second year, after the-diary circumstances that I would not like to explain at this time. Happy now, Hermione? You'd better be.

Percy's still not home. There's something very suspicious about him staying at the Ministry, even if Dad is firmly convinced that Percy's just trying to fix his reputation. What reputation? He doesn't even have one! Maybe he's still being questioned about old Crouch. Like I care what my least favorite brother is doing at his office.

Oh my god. Ron won't stop bugging me about the Chudley Cannons shirt. Excuse me while I go hurl the shirt at his slimy, Hermione-adoring face.

…

My job is done.

-Ginny

* * *

Ah! Another chapter done! I'd like to thank my reviewers:

**Islandman-**Thanks! You're my very first review on this story!

**RaveNClawGeniuS-**I'll try my best. Thanks!

**Monketprobs-**There's the next chapter for you. Hope you liked it!

**Kelso the Great-**Yeah, there are a lot of Ginny's journal(not diary!) stories out there, and that just made me want to right my own, a little differently, though.

**Jennifer-**I know! Ginny's so cool! Thanks!

**BriMcPoopers-**The first part of her journal, I'm making most of the events up, and I'm guessing the dates. Once Harry comes, in the second part of her journal, I'll go through the summer like OotP says.

Thank you, all of my reviewers! You guys really made my day!

How did you like this chapter? Review please!

-Rox


	3. July 2, 1995

July 2, 1995, The Burrow

It's early. Too early. In fact, I don't even know why I'm writing here this early. I just want to get back in my bed and fall asleep until noon. But because Percy decided to wake up the entire house at five this morning, bellowing up the stairs that we have no Floo powder left, I'm wide awake.

It was rather amusing, actually. Ron and I were standing in the hallway, wondering why on earth the prat that we call an older brother doesn't just Apparate into work like he normally does, or why he wanted to get to the Ministry at five in the morning. God. If boys are always this confusing, I think I should go break up with Michael.

So anyway, Mum comes rushing down the stairs and starts yelling at Percy for waking everybody up. Fred and George looked happy. I think they like it when Mum yells at someone else but them. It's a big change not to hear, "Fred, George, what did you do!" in Mum's rows.

They went at it for fifteen minutes until Dad finally came downstairs, still in his pajamas. I decided to take a closer look at what was going on, but Ron decided to go back to sleep. Dad asked Percy why he wanted to get to the Ministry so early, and Percy, that pompous freak, told him that he wanted to make a good impression on Minister Fudge by arriving early, and by arriving in such a manner that everyone would notice him.

Dad told him to go back upstairs and sleep for another two hours, and Percy had the nerve to tell him that he(Dad) was wasting his time by sleeping, and that he(Percy) was not going to get anywhere in the Ministry by wasting time. Dad just raised his eyebrows and stomped off back to bed. Mum shoved the last of the Floo powder into Percy's hands, and then he was off in a whirlwind of green fireplace flames. Crazy, I tell you. Barking mad.

So now I'm sitting here in the hallway, leaning against the wall. It's just before six, and Mum's making breakfast. She said that since everyone's already awake, there's no use in waiting to start cooking. Besides, we're expecting Bill to come via Portkey from Egypt at eleven. She probably wants to be ready to smother her oldest son is hugs.

Once in a while, she shoots me this look, like she wants to know what I'm writing. That's one of the reasons I'm still writing in here: I want express my thoughts, but I don't want another human being to hear them.

But I also want everyone to see that I'm barely affected by the past diary experiences that I do not wish to mention at this time.

I know, I know! I'm going to have to explain them sooner or later. But by mentioning them in detail, I show that I'm still affected by them, which I am mostly certainly not.

Okay. That's a downright lie. I've been having nightmares since the summer after my first year, and they've been coming back more frequently ever since the Third Task. But if I told someone about these nightmares, everyone would think of me as the small, defenseless little girl that I was. But I'm not a small, little girl anymore. I'll be fourteen in August, and I do believe that I am perfectly capable of dealing with these things myself.

All right. Enough of the drama.

Hermione's arriving at one this afternoon. Dad said he's had her house hooked up to the Floo Network, but he seems pretty nervous about it. From what I've heard from his conversations with Mum, the Floo Network is being closely watched because of You-Know-Who and all. Unknown house addresses on the master Floo list aren't exactly going to make the Ministry happy if they should find out.

Speaking of Hermione, I do believe that she is the reason Ron is sleeping. He probably wants his beauty sleep so he can look "handsome" when she comes. Ha.

Hmm. Do you think I should tell Hermione that I've been keeping up with my journal? Maybe I should just act like I don't know what she's talking about if she asks me about it. No. That's a bad idea. Because then, she'll go off and tell Ron that I'm not using her gift, and then Ron will start yelling at me for making Hermione upset, and then Mum will shout at Ron for yelling at me, and then…yeah, you get the point, don't you?

Oh. Ron's just come downstairs. He doesn't look any better than he did at five. Maybe I should tell him that Hermione wants him to get his beauty sleep. I think I will. Excuse me.

…

I've never noticed how red Ron's ears get whenever Hermione and him are mentioned in the same sentence. Hmm. Ideas, ideas…

Okay. I'm not evil. I would never talk about that when Hermione was here, partially because she would get embarrassed, as well as Ron. And as of now, Hermione's the only girl that I will see, probably all summer, and I don't want her hiding up in a bedroom from all of my brothers.

Lovely. Breakfast is ready! I'll write more later, I promise!

Later

Oh. My. God.

I'm going to be sent to Azkaban tonight.

Why?

Because I'm going to murder my brother.

No. Percy is not my brother. My brother would not have packed his bags for London, leaving Mum and Dad and all of us behind.

I can't believe this. I want to strangle Percy with every ounce of my strength, until he can't breathe anymore and he falls to the ground dead, blue in the face from lack of oxygen.

I guess I should start at the beginning, because you're probably very confused right now. Okay. Here it goes.

It was around six, and we were all sitting in the living room. We, meaning Mum, Fred, George, Ron, Bill, Hermione, and I. We were all waiting for Dad and Percy to come home, so that we could have a big family dinner together.

Well, Dad came home at half past six, but still no Percy. We waited and waited. And finally, Percy came striding into the living room. He dropped his briefcase on the ground and told all of us that he had a special announcement.

He's been promoted directly into Fudge's office, as "Junior Assistant to the Minster".

Percy asked us if we were proud of him. Dad looked a little upset. He stood up and said that the only reason Percy was promoted was so that Fudge could spy on the family, since we're very close to Professor Dumbledore, and Dumbledore's name is mud with the Ministry these days. Everyone thinks he's just making trouble by saying that You-Know-Who is back. The look on Percy's face was priceless.

But that's when the trouble started.

Percy started yelling and saying that Dad was just jealous that he was moving up in the Ministry. They started shouting back and forth, and even Mum looked a little frightened. Percy even had the nerve to say that Dad's "lousy reputation" is the reason that our family doesn't have a lot of money!

At that point, Dad was really riled up. He started shouting some more, but Percy interrupted him. Percy said that his loyalties were staying with the Ministry, and if the family didn't follow him, then he wanted everyone to know that he wasn't part of our family anymore.

Percy ran upstairs before Dad could stop him, He packed his bags and left for London within the hour. He said he has a few friends in the city that can get him a decent flat.

You don't know how much I want to Floo up to London and beat the living crap out of that-that-that boy.

It's nearing midnight now, and no one's sent anyone up to bed yet. Bill's out in the garden with Mum. She's been crying ever since Percy left. Dad's locked himself in the den. I keep hearing ripping noises. I think he's tearing apart every last picture of Percy in there. Hermione and Ron are talking quietly at the kitchen table, and I've resumed my place in the hallway. Fred and George are writing to Charlie in Romania, to tell them about what happened, and probably to plot revenge.

I've never really been that close to Percy, but now that he doesn't want to belong to our family anymore, it makes him seem farther away then ever. No, no, I certainly don't miss him, but he ran away, like a coward, after saying those things to Dad.

Oh. Ron's going upstairs. He's saying goodnight to Hermione. He waved at me.

Oh, lovely! Hermione's spotted me writing in this journal. She looks happier that I've seen her all night.

I'll go tell her all about this journal. I'll write more tomorrow.

-Ginny

* * *

I'd like to thank my reviewers:

**FrogsOfChocolate-**Thanks for reviewing chapter one!

**Kelso the Great-**Aw! Thanks so much! Can't wait to read your next review!

**Mingingbent-**Thanks for reviewing. Hope you liked this chapter.

**Prongsgurl1120113-**Oh, you want the pairings? Well, it's definitely going to be Ron/Hermione. I'm not revealing anything else…yet! Thanks for reviewing!

**Uasoccerbear08-**Glad you liked this chapter. Thanks!

If I missed anybody, I'm sorry, but thank you everyone for reviewing!

So…how did you like this chapter? I tried to make the Percy thing seem more realistic than it did when Ron was explaining it in OotP.

RHr Shippers: Should I drop in some more Ron/Hermione moments?

Thanks, again, everyone! You guys really made my day with all of those reviews!

So…what are you waiting for? Review!

-Rox


	4. July 3, 1995

July 3, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place, London, England

It's really early. Even earlier than when I first wrote yesterday. I got barely three hours of sleep when Mum woke everyone up. But the good news is this: I finally have a real name for "wherever we're going"!

Right now, I'm sitting in the bedroom that Mum has given Hermione and I in Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London, England. The entire house is filthy, and there's a screaming portrait of an old woman downstairs in the hallway, not to mention a very creepy old house elf that calls himself Kreacher.

I'm going to have to spend the rest of the summer here, so I best get used to it, Mum said. She's warned me not to go exploring around the house until everything's been cleaned up. And she's also told me who's going to be doing the cleaning: us.

I did not intend to spend my entire summer cleaning an old house.

Mum also told me, and only me, not to go venturing onto the fourth floor of the house, and not to speak to anyone that I don't know. Even Hermione won't tell me what she's going on about, and Ron's not telling me, either. Why don't they just go find a closet to snog in or something?

So far, no one's told us about this "secret society headquarters" that we're supposedly living in. The only members that I know about are Mum, Dad, and Bill. But there's got to be more!

Gah. Hermione's already started on her holiday homework. She's sitting on her bed, writing about three feet of parchment a minute! Honestly, that girl has got to lighten up! I think I'll go ask her if she wants to head over to Bill to ask him about the secret society members.

…

Hermione's response: "Ginny, I've got O.W.L.S. coming up! There's just too much work to keep track of!"

Oh, right. I almost forgot that she's taking her O.W.L.S. this year.

I pity Ron and Harry's souls.

I am so bloody(god, I sound like Ron!) bored. There's nothing to do. Mum's confined all of us to our bedrooms. Ron and Bill are sharing a room down the hall, and Fred and George are up on the third floor. I keep wondering where Harry's going to stay when he comes, because he most definitely will. I hope.

Oh. My. God. There I go again, talking about Harry! Why can't I just forget about my little crush on him and move on! I have a boyfriend, for crying out loud! I can't like my boyfriend and Harry at the same time! That's like cheating…right?

Speaking of Michael, I probably won't have any contact with him over the summer. I wrote him this morning, telling him not to try and find me. Mum said that she doesn't want "suspicious owls" hanging around Grimmauld Place, because the Muggles outside will start to notice and then we'll be in big trouble.

You see, Number Twelve is well…invisible. It's protected by a whole bunch of spells that Hermione started to explain to me, but then I got bored. She, Ron, Fred, George, and I had to memorize the location while we were outside on the lawn. And then, out of nowhere, this house inflated in between Numbers Eleven and Thirteen, and as soon as we got into the hallway, it disappeared again.

Hermione's just left. Ha. She's probably off to visit Ron. From what's been happening the past two days, it looks like I'm going to be spending a lot of my time by myself, or with Fred and George, because Hermione and Ron have been spending a lot of time together. Mum must be ecstatic: they're finally realizing their feelings for each other, after that whole "Yule Ball/Viktor Krum" fiasco.

Speaking of Mum…I don't think she's going to be herself this summer. She's in despair over what happened last night with Percy, and it's only been one day without him around. How is she going to last the rest of the summer?

Dad hasn't really spoken much since last night. I wouldn't either, if I were him. How would you feel if your son blamed your family's financial problems on your reputation? I just hope Fred and George develop some wicked joke product that we can use on Percy the next time we see him…if we ever seem him again, that is. We can always mail something to him at his new office at the Ministry. Ideas, ideas…

God. I'm still bored. I don't even know what time it is. Ah, it's about eleven in the morning. I've been up for seven hours, and I just want to drop down on my bed and sleep until next Tuesday. Maybe that's what I'll do. Nah, because then I'll miss all of the good chances to tease Ron about Hermione, or vice versa.

Suddenly, I feel very much awake…maybe that's because I hear shouting coming from Ron's room. Ha. I think I'll go investigate.

Darn. Mum's calling us downstairs. Maybe, finally, we'll be finding out about this secret society!

Crap. She wants us to start cleaning. Grrr…

I don't think I'll be writing anymore tonight. Sorry for the short entry.

-Ginny

* * *

I'd like to thank my reviewers: **InsanityPlea, Draco'sBrokenAngel, prongsgurl202113, sandshark,and Kelso the Great**. If I missed anyone, sorry! Thank you so much for reviewing! You guys really made my day!

So…what about this chapter? I know, it's a bit short, but I couldn't really think of what Ginny would write about during her first day at Headquarters. Oh, and the "not allowed on the fourth floor" will be explained in the next few entries!

Oh, yes, and please check out the first chapter again! I've added Ginny's quote from OotP that was the inspiration for the title of the story.

Please review! I get more motivation for writing this chapters when I see lots of reviews in my inbox!

-Rox


	5. July 4, 1995

July 4, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

It's very late. I think it's around eleven, but that wretched house elf Kreacher came in here and broke our clock when we were all downstairs yesterday cleaning the kitchen. Hermione was furious when I started shouting at him. She's still going on about S.P.E.W.

I am so tired. Mum's been on a cleaning rampage, and we've been scrubbing floors ever since we got here. But I do have good news: we finally know what this secret society is.

It's called the Order of the Phoenix, and it's made up of a lot of full-grown wizards who are secretly fighting You-Know-Who. Mum, Dad, and Bill introduced all of us to the other members who came for dinner last night, and there sure are a lot of them. Professor Lupin is staying in the house, I'm happy to say. He's got to be the best DADA professor we've had at Hogwarts.

Hermione and I have taken a liking to one of the few female members of the Order. Her name is Nymphadora Tonks, but she wants to be called by her surname only. Here's the thing: she's a Metamorphagus! She can change her appearance at will. Right now, she says, her favorite hair color in bubble gum pink, worn in short spikes. She's very funny, and I can tell we'll be great friends.

Today, Mum had Hermione and I cleaning our own bedroom. I never realized how filthy it was! I mean, I barely spent any time in there, after all, because we've been cleaning the kitchen. The windows in here were covered in a solid layer of dirt! This house must be ancient!

Yeah, I know, I said I was tired, butI can't sleep. This house is so creepy. There are snake-shaped things all over the place. The people who lived in this house must have been some pretty die-hard Slytherin fans! Kreacher is always mumbling about the Dark Lord. The old woman's painting downstairs keeps screaming about "creatures of dirt". It's like this house is holding a secret.

Speaking of secrets...

No one will tell me why I'm not allowed up on the fourth floor! Mum said that she would explain it to me tomorrow morning, but she'll probably "forget" like she did this morning. There's obviously something she doesn't want me to see. But Ron and Hermione have been up on the fourth floor, and they come back perfectly fine. Mum's being very suspicious...

Speaking of suspicious...(okay, I think I should stop doing this now, but...)

So far, there's been one Order meetingduring the time that we've spent here, and when all of the members started to arrive tonight, I heard someone(or something) moving around on the FOURTH FLOOR. But before I could go investigate, Mum and Hermione shoved me back in the bedroom and stood guard outside the door until the person(or thing) was gone. Later on, I heard Mum telling someone out in the hall that they should have "waited for the signal" and that they could have "been seen by her before she knew".

For some strange reason, I think this "she" Mum was referring to was me.

You see? I'm almost fourteen years old, for crying out loud, and people still protect me from things that they think I won't be able to handle. Hello? I faced Riddle when I was eleven years old! I think I can handle anything.

Okay...I'm still having nightmares about that. Maybe that wasn't a good example.

Speaking of nightmares...(okay, just this one last time!)

I had another one last night. It's the one that I had my very first night back at home after my first year. It started out with me writing in a diary, smiling away, and then everything flashed, and after that, I was lying in a stone dungeon, and Riddle was looking over me, laughing...

Then, I woke up, because Hermione was calling my name softly. She said she heard me moaning in my sleep, and she wanted to know what was wrong. I told her, and she was staring at me all day. I think she thinks that by giving me this journal, she's dug up my fears of Riddle, and that it's HER fault I'm having these nightmares. But it's not her fault at all.

Hermione and Ron had their first fight of the summer yesterday. I overheard them. Okay, they were shouting at the top of their lungs, but I had to go outside in the hallway and listen in, because the old woman downstairs started shrieking again. They were arguing about Harry. Hermione wanted to send him a letter about where they were and about the Order, but Ron didn't want to, because Mum and Dad told all of us not to tell a soul about the Order or the headquarters.

They went on and on for about ten minutes before Mum came upstairs and told them to shut up, because the old woman wasn't going to quiet down unless everything in the house was silent.

Oh, god. I can barely even write anymore. I'm probably in for a long day of cleaning tomorrow.

Maybe, just maybe, I'll investigate the fourth floor tomorrow as well.

-Ginny

* * *

Was that one too short? Sorry I posted so late, and sorry about the short chapter. I'm on a deadline here. I have to clean my room before nine, and it's five-thirty, and I'm in a rush because I woke up late and had to go out and get a mattress and I didn't have enough time to write a good chapter. I PROMISE: the next one will be longer.

Happy Independence Day, all of my American readers!

I'd like to thank my reviewers:** prongsgurl1202113, uasoccerbear08(**hey, soccerbear, if you look through this chapter, you'll find the explanation for the shouting yesterday! sorry for the confusion!)**, Draco'sBrokenAngel, Jazipan, and Yasona Black.** Thanks so much you guys! You're the best!

So...how did you like this chapter? Again, I'm sorry it's short, but I'm running on a deadline here and I have to make it quick.

Please, review! I love seeing comments from you guys in my inbox every morning!

-Rox


	6. July 5, 1995

July 5, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Okay. This is driving me insane! No one will tell me why I'm not allowed on the fourth floor. I asked Mum this morning at breakfast, but she kept humming and pretending like she didn't here me. I asked Dad, but he suddenly had to rush off to work. Argh!

I guess Professor Lupin sensed my stress, because he leaned across the table and whispered, "You don't know the real story, so the story cannot be seen by you until then." So I'm guessing there's something up there that I don't know the "real" story about. Whatever that means…

It's just after dinner now, and it's getting dark. Hermione's writing a Potions essay by candlelight. I locked the door, because last night, that Kreacher elf walked in here at two in the morning, muttering about "Mudbloods and blood traitors". It scared the living crap out of me, but Hermione gently guided Kreacher out in the hallway and went back to sleep. How that girl can be kind to something that insults her, I have no idea…

Mum had all of us cleaning the kitchen again. It was mostly dusting the shelves and checking to make sure that none of the pests had gotten to the food that the Order members had donated to the cabinets.

All right. Back to the fourth floor thing. I have to find out what's up there. It obviously moves, and it must speak, because it's in the Order, so I'm guessing it's a person that lives up there. Ron and Hermione must know him or her, and Mum and Dad and the rest of the Order.

I have somewhat of a plan. Tonight, I'll sneak out when everyone's asleep, and I'll go up to the fourth floor to see just who's up there. I'll find out, and I'll leave and get back into my bed before anyone realizes I'm gone. Sounds foolproof to me. Fred and George are up on the third floor, so maybe I'll ask them to distract Mum or something if she's checking up on us.

Lovely. Hermione's just blown out her candle. I'll wait a little while before I leave.

Wish me luck. I promise I'll write as soon as I get back.

Later

Wow. What a night I've had.

Let's just say, I did find out who's staying up in the fourth floor.

It's Sirius Black.

Okay, he's not a mass-murderer like I thought he was. He was framed by Peter Pettigrew, who, in fact, is not dead, but alive, and a Death Eater in You-Know-Who's ranks.

But, I didn't know that when I first saw Sirius. Heh…I'll start from the beginning.

I snuck out of the room at about ten. Mum wasn't out in the hallway, so I tiptoed up the stairs to the fourth floor. It's just this huge, long hallway with paintings and three doors.

The door at the end of the hall was half open, and there was light shining into the hallway. I tiptoed down the hallway and I hovered outside the door, trying to get a peak inside.

What I saw was a hippogriff, like the ones Hagrid showed us during class in my second year. The animal was sitting on the bet, chewing on what looked like dead, bloody rats. I saw a man's hand feeding it to the animal.

I guess I must have leaned on the door, because the hinges creaked loudly. A man's voice started calling out to me. "Who's there?"

I heard footsteps. I couldn't move: I was petrified. The door swung open, and I looked up into the face that I had been seeing all over the Daily Prophet: Sirius Black!

We stared at each other for a moment, before I opened my mouth and let out a sort of scream. Sirius reached out his hand, and he told me to wait, but I took of bolting down the stairs. I could hear him following me.

I ran into Mum and Dad's room, and they woke up, asking me what was wrong. I told them that we had to call the Ministry: Sirius Black was in the house, and he could murder us all! I was on the verge of tears, but Dad seemed to think something was funny.

"Come on in, Sirius. We've got some explaining to do."

I turned around and saw Sirius coming into the room, looking amused himself. I crawled up on the bed and huddled near Mum.

Mum told me to relax, and not to be afraid of Sirius. He sat down on the edge of the bed and started to explain to me that he was innocent, and that he wasn't going to murder anyone. I felt so embarrassed!

Mum asked me why I was up on the fourth floor anyway. So now I have to help out with dinner for the next to nights for disobeying her orders.

I also found out that Sirius is Harry's godfather, and that's why he, Ron, and Hermione know that he's innocent. And they didn't tell me!

Sirius told me that this house belonged to his parents, and now that it belongs to him, he gave it to Dumbledore to use as headquarters. The old woman in the portrait downstairs is actually Sirius's mum, and the bedroom in which he's keeping Buckbeak the hippogriff was his mum's room. And he confirmed that he was the person that Mum and Dad didn't want me seeing until I knew the "real story". So I guess Professor Lupin was right!

It's just before midnight now, and I think I can still feel my face burning. I told Hermione what happened, and even she laughed a little bit. I apologized to Sirius over and over again, and he patted me on the back and said that all was forgiven. God, what am I going to do if he's down at breakfast tomorrow? I'll blush so hard you'll hardly be able to see the difference between my hair and my face!

I best get to bed. I've got a long day of blushing and cleaning ahead of me. Goodnight.

-Ginny

* * *

Hey everyone! I know I promised a longer chapter, but you guys don't seem to really care whether they're short or long!

I'd like to thank my lovely reviewers: **Indis the name harrys the game, maraudersprincess, uasoccerbear08, Jazipan, Kelso the Great, and prongsgurl202113.** Sorry if I forgot anyone! Thanks so much! You don't know how much I love seeing reviews in my inbox every morning!

Tell me what you liked about this chapter. I tried to think of a Ginny-like way on how she would find out about Sirius living in the house, his innocence, and all of that. Sorry if it was a bit rushed. I'm on a deadline again tonight. Darn parents! I don't thinkt they understand that people are practically begging for the next chapter.

Please, review! I love seeing feedback from my readers!

-Rox


	7. July 6, 1995

July 6, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, breakfast wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be. I must admit, Ron, Hermione, and Professor Lupin looked a bit surprised to see Sirius down at breakfast. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Mum glared at him and asked Sirius if he wanted butter on his toast.

Sirius took his toast and sat down across from me. He asked me if I slept well last night. I felt the famous Weasley blush creep up into my face, and I mumbled that I had slept well. Ron snorted into his orange juice and Mum whacked him on the back of the head with his spatula.

Then, Professor Lupin started reading his Daily Prophet. He scanned the front page, and he gave an odd sort of yelp. We all looked towards him and watched as his face paled very quickly. Mum went over to see what was wrong, and she seemed a little nervous, too. She told Ron, Hermione, and I to go upstairs, and not to come down until she called for us. She asked Sirius to Floo Dumbledore, and then Professor Lupin escorted us upstairs.

Ron reckons that it has something to do with the Order, but what does the Order have to do with the Prophet?

Hermione said that the newspaper has been bashing Dumbledore, saying that he's an old fool. They're even talking about taking away his Order of Merlin, First Class! So the paper probably printed something about Dumbledore, and the entire Order needs to know.

It's around lunchtime, and Mum still hasn't come up here to tell us we can come down yet. Fred and George have tried eavesdropping on the meeting, using their new inventions, "Extendable Ears", but they're just picking up a lot of shouting, and we can't tell what the people are saying because everyone's talking at once.

I would have expected that living at headquarters would be a lot more exciting than sitting up in your bedroom, waiting to be called downstairs. I would have thought that there would be a lot of drama in this house, with secret Hit Wizards coming and going, you know, that sort of thing, like in those Muggle James Bond movies Hermione told me about once.

But it's rather boring. We just sit here, clean all day, and try to get a clue into what the Order is doing to fight against You-Know-Who. Mum won't tell us a thing.

"You're too young! You're not in the Order!" is all she leaves us with.

Oh. Fred and George have just come in! They've picked up a decent conversation in the kitchen with the Extendable Ears!

Apparently, the Daily Prophet printed a story about the Triwizard Tournament, and it was a complete lie. They wrote that the tournament ended "pleasantly", the winner being the, "Boy-Who-Lived himself", and that only one "minor casualty" occurred! The casualty(Cedric Diggory) was said to have been a "boy who used a jinx incorrectly" in the maze, and the jinx "backfired upon him, killing him instantly".

What a load of codswallop! Cedric Diggory was murdered, and he certainly knew how to use jinxes, and the tournament did not end pleasantly.

Dumbledore isn't too happy about the story, George said. It doesn't mention anything about You-Know-Who returning, which means that a good deal of the Wizarding world has no idea that a deadly threat is looming right in their own backyards! He wants to send more Order members around the world, preaching about You-Know-Who's definite return.

God, I bet you anything the Ministry is behind this. They just don't want to accept the fact that You-Know-Who is back, and that we all have to fight.

Moving on to a nicer subject…

I've been able to send an owl to Michael. Hermione told me this morning that if anyone saw the owl leaving the house, she would say it was her owl, sending a letter to her parents. She's such a lifesaver!

Of course, I didn't tell Michael where I am. I just asked him how his summer was going, if he was doing all right: you know, the usual things a girl would write to her boyfriend. I even signed it "Love, Ginny". I hope he doesn't get freaked out about that…

I also hope that Hermione doesn't tell Ron about Michael. My brothers are very protective of me, and if any of them found out that I'm dating someone, they'll all go and hunt him down, and who knows that they'll do to Michael then. But I trust Hermione, and she won't tell a single soul, I bet.

Ugh. Hermione wants to know if I've started any of my holiday homework yet. The answer is…no way! It's not even the middle of July yet, and already she wants me working on Potions essays and Transfiguration theories. It's not like I'm taking my O.W.L.'s this year! And besides, I usually get mine done two weeks before term starts anyway…

Now she's rattling on about S.P.E.W., or "spew" as Ron calls it. She wants me to join, but I just tell her that I haven't got the sickles that it cost to get a badge.

I asked her what S.P.E.W. stands for.

"The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

Wow. I don't care about any of that. I wonder how Ron and Harry can stand Hermione going on about elf rights all the time.

Speaking of Harry…

No one's breathed a word about whether or not he's coming here for the summer. But it's not like I care if he's coming or not. I'm totally over him, remember?

Okay, I'm not entirely over him yet, but I did promise myself at the start of summer that I would no longer blush heavily when he talked around me.

Great. Mum's calling us down to lunch.

"And then we're cleaning the pantry!"

Ugh…

-Ginny

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I seem to be writing short chapters these days. This one is two and a half pages long on WordPad, so its longer than the usual ones. But there's really nothing for Ginny to write about, besides cleaning and Michael, because she doesn't know much about the Order(yet). Just wait until Harry comes. The chapters will be five pages long, you just watch.

I'd like to thank my lovely reviewers for once again reviewing: **Indis the name harrys the game, prongsgurl202113, Kelso the Great, Jazipan, uasoccerbear08and Lyra Sakura.** Thank you guys so much! I live for those reviews in my inbox!

So how did you like this chapter? I tried to fit in both Order AND Michael/Harry things in the same entry. I hope that everyone enjoyed it!

What are you waiting for? Please review and make my day happier!

-Rox


	8. July 7, 1995

July 7, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Cleaning the pantry last night-ugh. There was just one word to describe it.

Disgusting.

Dis-bloody-gust-ing!

There was a dead rat in one of the old bags of-well, I don't really know what was originally in the bag. It was all green and blue, and Mum threw it out, and forbade Fred and George to go anywhere near the rubbish bin. They've been stealing some of the junk to aid in their new inventions.

It took us at least two hours to clean out the pantry, and by that time, we were all tired. But Mum sent Hermione and Ron upstairs, but she kept me, since I had to help with dinner because I went up on the fourth floor when I wasn't supposed to.

Mum and I were cooking for at least twenty people, and I kept asking her why we were having so many guests for dinner. She said that the Order members were coming for another meeting tonight, and that it was polite to offer them a meal for all the hard work they've been doing. But she shut up after she told me about the hard work.

At dinner last night, I finally got the chance to talk to Tonks. Hermione and I sat across from her at the table, and she entertained us between mouthfuls by changing her appearance. First it was her hair, then her eyes, then her nose, then she started changing her entire face at once! We were laughing so hard at this pig-like face that Mum told us to quiet down. I don't think I've ever seen Hermione's face get so red. I thought only Weasleys could blush that hard!

After dinner, Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, and I huddled around the kitchen door with the Extendable Ears, trying to hear what was going on in the meeting. And what we heard wasn't exactly pleasing, at least to Ron it wasn't…

Bill intercepted one of the letters that Harry sent Ron, and he read the entire thing out loud to the entire Order. Harry wants to know what's been going on with You-Know-Who, where everyone is, and when he's going to be able to get out of uncle's house. After the letter was read, everyone started whispering, until Professor Lupin stood up and silenced everyone.

Professor Lupin said that Dumbledore wants Harry to stay at his uncle's house for a while, until the heat from the Triwizard Tournament dies down a bit. He seems to think that it's safer for Harry to be in the Muggle world, due to You-Know-Who's return. There was an uproar that this. One old wizard stood up and said that it would be safer if Harry stayed with his own kind. That way, he'd be surrounded by witches and wizards who would protect him if any danger was about.

We didn't get the chance to hear anything else, because we heard footsteps coming towards the door. We all scattered as quickly as possible.

Now, on to what happened today…

Mum found out Percy's new address from one of the Order members who's stationed in London. She went down to talk to him first thing this morning, but as soon as he opened the door and saw her face, he slammed it shut and refused to speak to her. Mum came back as a puddle of tears, and Dad just stared off into space. I don't think he really understands that his son is truly gone. Professor Lupin stepped in and took her upstairs to try and calm her down.

The next time I see Percy, I'm going to wring his guts out dry.

Hermione and I were assigned to the cleaning of the front hall. It's disgusting, and it's even worse than the pantry was! We found two live puffskeins huddled in the corner by the front door, and Hermione screamed so loud that three Order members came flying out of the kitchen and to our aid. One of them was Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror, and he probably told Tonks about our little predicament.

Fred, George, Sirius, and Professor Lupin were trying to get Mrs. Black's picture down from the wall in the living room. I heard her screaming all afternoon. George told me that there's a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of the canvas, and there's no real way to get it down. Sirius looked pretty upset, and Fred told me that he hated his mother with all of his being.

Mum and Ron were scouting out Ron, Fred, and George's bedroom for spiders. Once or twice, Ron came flying down the stairs, shouting about spiders that were coming to get him. Mum dragged him back up into the room. She's determined to get Ron over his immense fear of spiders before term starts. I bet you ten Galleons that he'll go back to school still afraid of s-p-I-d-e-r-s.

After we finished scrubbing the front hall, Hermione and I went upstairs to our bedroom, only to find Ron, lying on Hermione's bed, whimpering. When he saw us, he jumped right up, blushing. He said that our room was the only spider-free place in the entire house. He mumbled his apologies, but I noticed that he was really only talking to Hermione. I brought this fact up later to her, and she turned deep red, and then she turned around and started reading her History of Magic textbook.

Dinner was no real spectacle. I'm just glad I didn't have to cook for fifteen or twenty people again. Sirius and Professor Lupin were arguing over where Harry should stay for the remainder of the summer. Sirius wants Harry here, in Grimmauld Place, and Professor Lupin says that he is much safer in the Muggle world, at least for now.

Tonks entertained us again while she ate. This time, Mum didn't notice our laughter, because she had started crying over Percy again, and her eyes were pressed into Dad's shoulder. I saw Fred and George whispering together. Maybe they're plotting some gory murder plan for Percy.

It's just after nine now. Hermione's gotten another letter from Harry. She wouldn't let me read it though, and now she's giving me the silent treatment because she said I was too "nosy". At the same time, I'm actually a little jealous that she gets letters from Harry, and I don't. But I don't really care about that!

If only that was really the truth…

But, on a brighter note, Michael sent me a reply to my last letter. He said that next week, his family is going to France, and he wants to know what my favorite precious stone is. Michael's uncle in Paris makes custom necklaces and bracelets, and Michael wants to get me one. So there, Hermione! I bet you neither Ron or Harry would get you custom-made jewelry from France!

I don't really know why, but I'm compelled to tell Michael that I'm rather fond of emeralds…

Oh. Hermione wants to know if she can borrow my Sleakeazy's Hair Gel. Of course she can! After all, she used up nearly half of my bottle for the Yule Ball, and didn't even apologize for wasting my hair products! Oh, well, her hair needs the gel more than mine does, that's for sure…

But why she wants to use it at nine at night is beyond me…

My, my. I think I have the answer to my question. Hermione's just left the room. She's probably off to say goodnight to Ron. God, it takes all of my will-power not to just throw those two in a closet, without their wands, and demand that they admit their feelings to each other and snog already!

Ah! Fred and George have just Apparated into the room. They're laughing and saying that they want to give little Ronny some "alone time" with our dearest Mione. Hmm. I haven't heard any shouting yet, so maybe they really are…but I mustn't get my hopes up too high!

I'm going to chase Fred and George out of my room in a few minutes so I can get changed into my pajamas and get to sleep. Mum mentioned something about cleaning Buckbeak's room tomorrow, and that's going to take a lot of energy.

Goodnight. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow morning and Ron and Hermione will finally be together. If only in my dreams…

-Ginny

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Ah. This chapter is slightly longer than the rest are, so I'm getting the hang of longer chapters.

But before I go any further, I'd like to thank, once again, my fantastic reviewers: **Kelso the Great, uasoccerbear08, Jazipan, Mingingbent, Morei Sky, and AHRTCCKD.** I'm SO sorry if I missed anyone, but my Hotmail account has got hAyWiRe and I cant get to my review alerts, so I'm relying on the reviews directly from my story. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed! You guys are great!

:Breaking News:

I will be going on vacation on July 15, and I will be returning on July 17. But don't worry! I'll still be updating! My plan is to upload the entries for the 15th, 16th, and 17th with the entry for the 14th, so you guys get FOUR NEW CHAPTERS on the SAME DAY! Isn't that great! So sorry if those chapters are on the crappy side. Writing four entries in the same day isn't exactly a piece of cake.

So…how did you like this chapter? I must admit, I've put more into this chapter than I have for a while. Tell me how I did!

Please, please, PLEASE, REVIEW! Thanks!

-Rox


	9. July 8, 1995

July 8, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, the morning has been rather…erm, eventful.

"Eventful" as in "full of screaming, yelling, and chucking things in the rubbish bin".

I guess I should start from the beginning, shall I?

We were all down at breakfast this morning. Fred and George were really chowing down on their food, and they said they wanted to get back upstairs to start working on their latest invention, "Skiving Snack Boxes".

Not even five seconds after those words came out of George's mouth, a huge scream echoed through the room. I thought that Mrs. Black had started on one of her rants again, but a moment later, Mum appeared in the kitchen doorway, holding up ten long, flesh-colored strings in her right hand.

The Extendable Ears!

It was very scary: Mum's face was red and her entire body was shaking from head to toe as she advanced towards the table. Fred and George hopped up from their seats, and Mum asked to see them in the pantry "for a quick little talk". Dad jumped up and followed, leaving Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Professor Lupin, and I to ourselves.

I heard everything that went on in the room. Fred and George confessed that the Extendable Ears had been used to eavesdrop on the Order meetings, and that they were still serious about opening their own joke shop. It was mostly Mum who was shouting at them. Dad jutted in some comments, but Mum really showed Fred and George.

About a half an hour later, Mum came out of the pantry and breathlessly asked that Sirius and Professor Lupin leave the room. They obeyed.

Mum chucked all of the Extendable Ears into the rubbish bin and turned on us all. She told us the dangers of leaving such eavesdropping devices around for anyone to use and spy on the Order, and that we shouldn't have been meddling in the Order's affairs in the first place. She sentenced Ron, Hermione, and I to cleaning the sitting room on the second floor. She sent Fred and George up into the attic to help Sirius clear out some of the old junk. Mum threatened them that if they came back down with any junk hidden in their pockets, they would be confined to their room for the rest of the summer.

Mum and Professor Lupin went into the living room to see about Mrs. Black's portrait, and the rest of us trudged off towards our cleaning missions.

We wished Fred and George good luck as we parted on the landing. As soon as I entered the sitting room, I just knew it would take forever to clean it. Layers and layers of dust and dirt had settled on every square inch of the room, and the carpet exhaled little clouds of dust every time someone put their foot down.

Ron said that he would clean the windows, and Hermione and I started removing the stiff old cushions from the pale green sofa in the corner. We stopped when we heard Ron start to whimper. He ran over, hid behind us, and started pointing towards the window. I went forward to investigate.

Sure enough, there was a big, black spider sitting on the window sill, scuttling around along the wood. I grabbed one of the towels that Ron had been using and I squashed the spider between my hands. I turned around, and Ron jumped up on the sofa, whimpering. I stuffed the towel containing the spider into one of the buckets that Mum had given us.

It took us about fifteen minutes to persuade Ron to come down off of the sofa, but he still refused to go anywhere near the windows. So I took up his job of wiping them clean, and Hermione and him continued cleaning the sofa. What a big baby! It was only a spider!

After I had wiped the windows free of dirt, and sunlight started to pour into the room, I felt happier than I have felt in the past few days. It's this house. It's gloomy, and just full of melancholy and depression, and Kreacher muttering insults at me isn't exactly making the situation better.

We weren't even half-done cleaning when Mum called us down for lunch. She asked us how our progress was going, but before we could answer, Kreacher burst into the kitchen, running clear across the floor. Seconds later, Sirius followed.

"Come back here, you bloody git!" Sirius roared. He withdrew his wand and went to chase after Kreacher, but Mum and Hermione stopped him. He sat down, caught his breath, and started to explain what happened.

Kreacher had apparently been hiding up in the attic, waiting to save the "precious Black relics" from being thrown out. When Fred had passed a picture of the Black family to Sirius, Kreacher had attacked Sirius, trying to pry the picture from his master's hands. The elf managed to get away, and Sirius had pursued him.

Hermione was busy, as she was trying to persuade Sirius to let Kreacher free. But he obviously can't be set free, because he knows too much about the Order, and knowing the Blacks, Kreacher would probably go off and betray all of the Order's secrets to You-Know-Who himself. Sirius used You-Know-Who's real name, causing the rest of us to flinch.

God, you don't know how much I want to be able to say You-Know-Who's real name without shuddering or flinching. I don't want to be afraid of him anymore. I just…

Okay, enough of the drama. On to a more pleasant subject.

I wrote back to Michael last night, telling him that my favorite precious stone is the ruby. I figured out why I wanted to tell him that I liked emeralds: they remind me of Harry's green eyes. But I am determined not to think too much about Harry, and I don't want to be reminded of Harry Potter every time I see Michael's gift necklace.

After lunch, Ron, Hermione, and I went back to the sitting room, but Ron went up to the attic, because he said he wanted to see what Fred and George were up to. Hermione and I didn't really clean that much. We came across an old Black family album and spent most of our time looking through it on the sofa.

I saw some old pictures of Sirius in the album. He looked so happy, and I must say, quite handsome, and nothing like the gaunt-looking man that lives in this house. Hermione told me that Azkaban can do that to a person. I shuddered just at the thought of Dementers, and that awful isle prison.

We also saw a picture of a young Lucius Malfoy, accompanied by a thin, blonde woman, who was holding a baby in her arms. They both were smiling, but Malfoy looked like he was smirking. I think that the woman is Draco Malfoy's mother, and the baby is Draco himself! Ha! I wonder what the little ferret will think if he ever finds out that we have baby pictures of him!

Lovely. Mum's calling us down. She wants to know if we're finished with the sitting room yet. As if!

Goodnight!

-Ginny

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Another chapter done! 

I'd like to thank my fantastic reviewers: **da idoit, AureliaSea13, prongsgurl202113(so sorry I didn't include you in the last review thank you list!), RonnieKinzLuvr, Morei Sky(I most definitley will be getting HBP on time, thanks!)Kelso the Great, and Jazipan**. You guys are just wonderful! Keep on making my day brighter!

I have gone past 50 REVIEWS on my story! Thanks so much! Let's make it 100 ;) LOL

:An Update On My "Vacation":

Turns out, I WILL NOT be going on vacation after all. My family's been a little tight on money ever since my father lost his job two months ago, and only two people can go. My mother opted to stay home, and she chose ME to stay home with her. So my father and my sister will be jetting off next week, while I'm here in New Jersey, so updates will be normal for the rest of the summer, unless I say otherwise.

Ah, well. The dream of a vacation lasted for a while.

But, this is not a story about my life and my "vacation"!

How do you think I did on this chapter? I'm getting a hang on longer entries! There's just so little for Ginny to write about, and my imagination's gone a bit dry.

Please, review! I've gotten over four hundred hits on this story, so I know I'm doing something right!

Review!

-Rox


	10. July 9, 1995

July 9, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

It's just before midnight, and I can't sleep. I woke up from a nightmare about ten minutes ago, and every time I close my eyes, I see Riddle's laughing face…

It's all because of the Order meeting Fred, George, and I overheard tonight. We had spent the entire day cleaning out a closet on the second floor and we were relaxing in the kitchen when all of a sudden, Mum came in, chasing us out. Ten minutes later, a flood of Order members came to the house.

Fred and George managed to save a few of the Extendable Ears from Mum's purge, and without bothering to go see where Ron and Hermione had gone too, we huddled around the door, listening in…big mistake.

Dumbledore was there, and he was speaking about how he had a hunch that You-Know-Who would start possessing people again in order to gain power. He mentioned my name, and the dangers of it all. Fred and George kept giving me concerned looks.

I don't know what happened, but all of the memories that I've tried to hard to forget just came back to be. The diary, Riddle, the Chamber of Secrets…I remembered everything as if it had just happened the day before. I started to feel nervous. I dropped the Extendable Ear on the ground and ran up to my room. I've been here ever since.

Hermione and Mum tried to persuade me to come downstairs for dinner, but I just told them I wasn't hungry and sat huddled on my bed, staring into thin air. Mum came back upstairs to wish me a good night, and she asked me what was wrong. I shook my head and told her that I was feeling a bit under the weather, that was all. Hermione came up half an hour later, and I managed to sleep for a while.

I just don't understand! Back in my first year,Dumbledore said I would get over things fairly quickly because of the loving support of my family and friends. But here I am today, still getting scared, just by an Order meeting! You don't know HOW much I just want to leave all of this behind, and forget it ever happened…

He's back. That fact hit me out of nowhere today. I guess I never really realized it until it affected me personally tonight. It's a terrifying thought…but now I know what Harry must feel like. He witnessed You-Know-Who's rebirth firsthand, after all! And Harry's not even allowed to know about anything else that's been going on with the Order.

All right. I've calmed down a bit. You should have seen me ten minutes ago! I was panting, sweating, and my heart was racing. Everywhere I looked, the shadows transformed into Riddle's face.

Maybe I should wake up Hermione. I mean, I do enjoy writing here, but sometimes I just need to speak to someone who can actually respond back. I know I should be writing more here, but I just can't. I'm so tired. I need to talk to Hermione.

-Ginny

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I am SO sorry that this chapter is so short! I just haven't had any time to update! I was over at my friend's house the entire day, and I couldn't get the chance to write a longer chapter. This is like a filler chapter, I guess I should say. I'm terribly sorry! Please don't flame me!

I'd like to thank my faithful reviewers: **AHRTCCKD, Ronniekinzluver, Kelso the Great, Morei Sky, prongsgurl202113, uasoccerbear08, and Jazipan.**

Thank you so much for reviewing the previous chapter! Keep it up!

So, how did you like this chapter? Again, I deeply apologize for it being so short, but a deadline has once again come over me. I promise, the next chapter will be MUCH longer.

Please review!

-Rox


	11. July 10, 1995

July 10, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I talked to Hermione first thing this morning. I told her everything that I had been feeling about Riddle this summer. Basically, I told her everything that I had written down in here. She listened intently, nodding and truly paying attention. She told me that if I ever needed to talk about anything, she would always be right there for me. God, Ron is so lucky to have a girl like that fancy him.

Yes, ladies, gentleman, and children of all ages! I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, age fourteen, of the Burrow and Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, have genuine proof that Hermione Jane Granger fancies my older brother, Ronald Bilius Weasley. After nearly five YEARS of speculation, the truth has finally come out!

Hermione told me this morning that she's fancied Ron ever since her third year. I was just itching to tell her that Ron's fancied her since the middle of second year. But I promised Ron that I wouldn't say anything to her, so I kept my lips firmly sealed. I bet you ten Galleons that they're going to get together this year. I've always wanted a sister…

Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm thinking a little too far ahead in the future. But I just know it's going to happen sooner or later. It's not a matter of IF, but a matter of WHEN.

I made Hermione swear that she wouldn't go telling Mum or Ron about my nightmares. Mum's got enough things to worry about, and Ron will just go into over-protective brother overdrive.

Speaking of over-protective brother overdrive, Ron almost found out about Michael this morning! Michael's owl delivered my letter to Ron's room this morning, and he almost opened the envelope! I dove for the letter when Ron came into the kitchen this morning, holding up the envelope that said "Dearest Ginny" on the outside. God, my face must have been bright red when I grabbed it out of his hands! He asked me who it was from, and I said that it was from one of my friends at school. Mum glared at him, and he sat down for breakfast without another word.

Sirius asked Hermione and I if we wanted to help him sort through his mum's old things this afternoon. Mum told us to be careful. I was expecting to see a whole bunch of tacky clothing and beat-up old jewelry, but Sirius's mum definitely had a good fashion sense!

All three of us were sitting down on the floor in Buckbeak's/Sirus's mum's bedroom, sorting through clothing, jewelry, books, and practically everything else under the sun. It seemed that Sirius had a hilarious story for each thing that we picked up. A few times, Mum came upstairs to tell us that she could hear his laughing all through the house, and that it was disturbing the portrait of Mrs. Black. Sirius put a Silencing Charm on the door so that his dear old mum wouldn't start shrieking again.

I wasn't even paying attention to anything that I was sorting until I came across a medium-sized wooden box. It had to be the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The lid was carved with colored designs of flowers and butterflies that were charmed to swirl around whenever the box was opened. The box itself was lined with soft velvet all along the inside, and a beautiful melody played when the lid was opened.

Sirius saw me staring at it in my hands, in awe, and he told me that it was his mother's old jewelry box. She used to keep necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings in there when she was alive. Just when I was going to put it in the pile to throw away, Sirius said that I could keep it, as long as it was okay with Mum.

I swear, I bolted out of that room with the box faster than the speed of sound! Mum was in the kitchen, making lunch, and I breathlessly asked her if I could keep it. She agreed with a smile. Normally, I'm not so girly that I would go crazy over a jewelry box, but…it was just amazing!

I'm going to keep this journal safe inside the box. It fits snugly in velvet. There's a keyhole on the lid. I'll have to ask Sirius later if there's a key that goes with the box.

Once or twice, Kreacher came into the room, searching for things that he could save. When Sirius held up a pair of his mum's dirty old bloomers, Kreacher made a desperate grab for them. Sirius tossed them across the room and forbade Kreacher to go anywhere near the bloomers. Of course, Kreacher couldn't obey a direct order from his master, so he exited the room, muttering insults underneath his breath all along the way. Again, Hermione begged Sirius to be kinder to Kreacher, but Sirius shrugged her off and launched into a story involving a pair of his mother's old dress shoes.

I would have never expected that I would have so much fun sorting through an old woman's possessions with an escaped convict.

After lunch, we finished helping Sirius. We threw out most of the things, but Kreacher managed to steal a few silver necklaces out of Sirius's strong grip. We spent the rest of the time grooming Buckbeak and feeding him dead rats. Okay, so Sirius and I did most of the feeding, because Hermione refused to touch the dead rats.

Dinner was rather uneventful. Tonks was there again, and Hermione and I starting requesting faces for her to morph into. One of them looked exactly like Draco Malfoy in that picture of him as a baby! I must ask Sirius if I can have the picture. Can you saw "blackmail"?

There's another Order meeting tonight, and Fred and George are busy trying to duplicate the remaining pairs of Extendable Ears, so I guess I'll have to go without any Order news for tonight.

Oh. Hermione's asking me if I want to say anything to Harry, since she's writing him another letter. Eh, I'll just tell hello, how's his summer going, you know, the usual. I'm OVER Harry, remember? I can just see you shaking your head. Oh well.

I'll write more tomorrow. Maybe I'll manage to get that baby picture of Malfoy!

Goodnight!

-Ginny

* * *

Yes, I must say, that chapter was much longer than the last one. I'm not on a deadline tonight, and I'm in a fantastic mood. My best friend just returned from her vacation in Colorado, and I intend of spending three hours on the phone with her.

I'd like to thank my lovely reviewers: **Morei Sky, uasoccerbear08, Jazipan, Kelso the Great, and prongsgurl202113. **You guys are awesome! Keep on reviewing!

So, how did you like this chapter? I just HAD to put in that little bit about Hermione confessing her true feelings for Ron to Ginny. I just couldn't resist. I can't wait till HBP comes out! There had better be some awesome RHr moments in there, J.K.!

I'm trying to fit in some Sirius/Ginny bonding moments here and there, because I believe that they probably talked often when Ginny was staying at 12 Grimmauld Place.

So, tell me how I did, and please review! Thanks so much!

-Rox


	12. July 11, 1995

July 11, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

For the first time this summer, today has been filled with a lot of Order-related stuff. I guess I should elaborate more on the "stuff". Here it goes:

Professor Lupin came back from a secret Order mission, and he was all bloodied up. There were cuts all over his face and hands, and the full moon isn't until next week, so I KNOW it's from the mission.

Well, he stumbled into the kitchen during breakfast and Mum nearly had a heart attack. She sat him right down and started fixing up his wounds. She told all of us to take our breakfast plates and finish our meal upstairs. Then she hollered for Sirius to Floo Dumbledore as soon as possible. So again, we were shunted upstairs.

On the way upstairs, I told Bill that an Order meeting was probably about to happen, and he flew down the stairs faster than the speed of Buckbeak the hippogriff! So Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, and I finished breakfast in Ron's room.

Mrs. Black started screeching again as more Order members came into the house, and Fred and George went downstairs to see if they can make her shut up. Lucky prats! They're allowed to use magic!

So Hermione, Ron, and I were stuck, theorizing about what's happening downstairs. Hermione says that Lupin was out guarding the weapon that the members have been talking about ever since we arrived. Of course, Ron, being the Hermione-adoring person that he is, agreed with Hermione's theory. Okay, okay, so I agree with her, too, but…you know what I mean…

Fred and George came back up a while later. They said that Mum wants all of us to start working on the dining room that's down on the first floor while the Order meeting's going on. So we all went downstairs, and we each took turns using the last Extendable Ear to listen in on the meeting. Fred and George have yet to make more of them. Mum keeps rumamging through their bedroom, and it's dangerous to leave their inventions lying around.

So, anyway, when it was my turn to listen in, they were talking about Harry. One of the wizards in the kitchen said that Harry had every right to know what was going on "on our side" so that when he did go back to Hogwarts, he wouldn't be completely clueless. Then Professor Lupin said, weakly, that Harry knows much more than the average teenage wizard, and that launched a whole other argument about Harry not being the "average teenage wizard". It's always the same thing! Oh, yeah, and they were talking more about getting "better protection" for their guard duties, because of what happened to Professor Lupin. Hermione reckons that he was attacked by something while he was out guarding the "weapon".

I just wish that we could all be in that meeting right now. It's still going on, and it's past lunchtime. We tried knocking on the door, but no one's answering. I'm bloody starving! We gave up our attempt at cleaning the dining room. There are a whole bunch of magical pests in there, and we don't know how to get rid of them.

Ron invited Hermione and I to a game of Exploding Snap, but Hermione said she had holiday homework to do(again!), and I'm not really in the mood to play anything at the moment. I'm just sitting here, on my bed, writing in my journal, and listening to the melody that my new jewelery box is playing. Hermione hasn't complained about it yet, so she must like it, too.

Oh, yes, I asked Sirius about the key to the box this morining at breakfast, and he said he would try to find it for me. Of course, that was right before he Flooed Dumbledore, so he probably forgot all about it. I'll have to remind him about it later, after he gets out of the meeting.

I can hear laughing down the hall. George probably lost Exploding Snap. He hasn't been able to win a game all summer. Poor George…

I am desperate to get a hold of that baby Draco Malfoy picture again. I could use some laughs when I'm stuck up here in my room. I have a feeling that I'm going to be spending a lot of time in my room this summer. Don't they have another room that they could use for Order meetings? Or at least they could let us inside, so we wouldn't be bored!

That's it. I'm going to play Exploding Snap. I'm bored out of my mind. It's not that writing in this journal is boring, it's just I really have nothing else to write about, and nothing really happened today. I promise I'll write later if anything important comes up. Bye for now!

Later 

Well, something important DID come up after all.

While Fred and I were playing Exploding Snap, we heard this huge scream downstairs in the kitchen. We all rushed down there in a heartbeat, and we found Dad holding a sobbing Mum. At first, I thought it was because of Percy, and I started to get angry, but that Dad explained.

He's going on guard duty tonight.

Oh, I know he has to do it for the Order, but after what happened to Professor Lupin…I don't even want to THINK about what could happen! Mum's beside herself. She refuses to talk to anyone, not even Professor Lupin. Sirius helped us make dinner, because Mum didn't want to come down. He's a pretty good cook, much to our surprise.

It's just after ten now, and I'm worried so much I probably won't be able to sleep. But I'm dead tired.

I just hope Dad comes home safe and sound tomorrow morning.

'Night.

-Ginny

* * *

Yeah! Another long chapter!

Cheers to my reviewers: **Ronniekinzluvr, Morei Sky, BabeBunny, prongsgurl202113, Kelso the Great, uasoccerbear08 and Jazipan. **Keep it up!

So…how did you like this chapter? I wanted to tune into the Order-based stuff, because it's not all about Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Tell me how I did!

Also, I apologize for any grammar and/or spelling mistakes. The Spell Checker on my computer isn't working properly.

Please review! Thanks so much you guys!

-Rox


	13. July 12, 1995

July 12, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, Dad came home this morning in one piece. He walked into the kitchen with one cut on his face, and Mum practically fainted. He's all patched up now, resting in the bedroom with Mum.

It's been a looooooooooooong day.

Mum's had us cleaning since after breakfast! Fred, George, Hermione, Ron, and I spent the ENTIRE DAY cleaning out Buckbeak's room. I never knew that a hippogriff could make such a mess! There were droppings ALL OVER the place--it was DIS-GUST-ING! Feathers, feathers, feathers! I'm using one as a bookmark for this journal.

Every once in a while, Fred and George would go downstairs with Extendable Ears to see if they could hear anything from the meeting downstairs, but there's some charm on the door, and the Ears can't get through the crack between the door and the floor.

After the meeting let out, Professor Lupin came up and asked how we were doing with Buckbeak's room. We told him we were nearly half done. Then he told us something: he knows about the Extendable Ears.

He warned us that we were getting information that we had no right to be hearing, and that it was very dangerous. He also said that if he caught us one more time, he would be forced to tell Mum!

Now, we all know that Professor Lupin probably won't tell Mum, but he had us pretty scared at the moment. Fred and George put the Extendable Ears back into their bedroom, and we finished Buckbeak's room in near silence.

I managed to ask Sirius if he had the key to the jewelry box...and he did! He took it out of his pocket and handed it right to me! I asked him about that baby picture of Draco Malfoy, and he just laughed and said maybe he could get it for me. Ha ha!

For lunch, we only had sandwiches, and I'm starving right now. Mum hasn't called us down for dinner yet. I hope she does soon! God, I sound like Ron. He's hungry all the time...!

I talked to Bill...and guess what! HE'S GOING OUT WITH FLEUR DELACOUR! She's the quarter-Veela from the Triwizard Tornument! Bill claims he "loves" her. Whatever you say, Bill, whatever you say...

Well, I'm sorry for such a short entry, but I really have to get started on my holiday homework. I've got this Potions essay, and it's going to be HELL trying to finish it.

I'll write more tomorrow!

-Ginny

* * *

I'm SOOOOO sorry for this short chapter! I have GOT to clean my room, and my Mom is threatening to delete all of my files if I don't get off now, so I'm terribly sorry!

I'd like to thank of all of the people who reviewed the last chapter, and ALL of the chapters. You guys really make my day a little bit brighter!

So...how did you like this chapter? Yeah, yeah. I know I said I wouldn't be writing any short chapters, but I'm on a SERIOUS deadline. It's either take a short chapter...or risk having all of my ideas deleted permanently.

Also, I apologize for any gramma/spelling mistakes. Darn Spell Checker!

Please, please, PLEASE review!

-Rox


	14. July 13, 1995

July 13, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Wow. This has been one of the best days that I've had all summer. There was no cleaning whatsoever, and I actually had fun in this creepy old house. And for once, it was just Ron, Hermione, and I, no Fred and George in sight.

Yeah, Fred and George are fun to be around, but they just don't know a lot of the things that have been going on with Harry, You-Know-Who, you know…those kinds of things. It was nice to just be with my brother and my best friend for the entire day.

When I woke up this morning, I fully expected to have a day filled with cleaning, and a lot of boring feelings. I went downstairs for breakfast early, because Hermione was still sleeping, and I found Mum in the kitchen, happier than she has been in days.

I asked her what she was so happy about, and she turned around and hugged me, beaming. She wouldn't explain it, but she said that it was "about time we all had a relaxing, summer day in this house". She cooked me my favorite meal for breakfast: sausages, eggs, and potatoes, something that she only does on my birthday.

When Hermione and Ron finally came down, I told them about how weird Mum was acting. Ron didn't say a thing: he was too busy wolfing down the food that Mum left out before she went in search of Sirius and Professor Lupin. Hermione was happy; she hates cleaning this house just as much as I do.

After breakfast, we all waited around, still expecting to have cleaning assignments from Mum all ready to go. But about a half an hour passed, and still, no one was ordering us around, or barking at us to "get to work". Mrs. Black even seemed peaceful as we ventured out of the kitchen.

Hermione suggested that we all go and finish up our holiday work during the lull in cleaning. Ron looked at her like she was crazy(but we all know that he loooooooves her) and said that we were going to have some FUN, not do our homework. We all met in Ron's room. Fred and George moved in Bill's room yesterday. Something about not wanting to hear anything else about spiders in the middle of the night…

We started our day off by playing Exploding Snap. Hermione isn't very good at that game, so she dropped out early and watched me beat Ron…three games in a row! He wanted to play me at a game of chess, but everyone knows that he can beat anyone at that game.

After that, we went into the sitting room, and I showed Ron the picture of baby Draco Malfoy. I took it out of the album, and it's underneath my pillow(not that I like him or anything…it's just a safe spot to keep it in, that's all). I'm sure Sirius won't mind if it's missing. We looked through the rest of the photo albums and found plenty that included Professor Lupin and Harry's parents. We're putting them aside to show Harry when he gets here…whenever THAT is.

Then, we went upstairs, into Buckbeak's room, and spent about an hour or two feeding and stroking Buckbeak, and talking to Sirius while he sorted through some "Black junk", as he calls it. He told us a few stories about when he was in Hogwarts, and all the trouble he used to get into with Filch and McGonagall. Even Professor Lupin got detention a few times! I find THAT hard to believe!

Buckbeak started to get a bit drowsy…probably from all those rats we fed him. I wonder where Sirius manages to find so many rats to feed that hippogriff. We offered to help Sirius get rid of some more junk, but he shooed us downstairs into the kitchen, saying that we deserved a nice day off, with all the help we've been giving around here since the start of July.

While we were down in the kitchen, Ron turned on the Wireless Wizarding Network radio that Professor Lupin purchased in Diagon Alley last week, and we spent a good deal of the day listening to Celestia Warbeck songs, some of which Ron knew all of the words. Hermione pointed out a few Muggle songs that were playing on the radio. A few of the songs were by "the Temptations." Whoever THEY are…

For lunch, we had turkey and ham sandwiches, but we had to make them ourselves, since we couldn't find Mum anywhere in the house. She came back in time for dinner thought. I bet Ron was happy about that.

My cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much!

Oh! I almost forgot! I got my ruby necklace from Michael this morning! A beautiful brown owl delivered it to me right after I woke up. I didn't dare wear it in front of Ron, though. He'd freak.

The necklace is pure gold, and in the center, three rubies are arranged in a heart shape. It's just…lovely.

Ha. I'm off to look at the baby picture of Malfoy to get a good laugh before I go to sleep. Goodnight!

-Ginny

* * *

Yeah! Longer chapter! Sorry about the larger font...not sure if it came out on or not, but...sorry.

I'd like to thank all of my wonderful revewiers. Sorry, can't list names. My hotmail account is CRAZY and I don't even want to try and get all of my e-mails read. Thanks so much you guys!

So…how did you like this chapter? Couldn't help but add in the Baby Pic of Malfoy…muahahahahahah…:hem hem:..no I'm not Umbridge…

Please review!

-Rox


	15. July 14, 1995

July 14, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, I found out why we had a "day off" yesterday from cleaning. Dad surprised Mum with an entire day out in London, just the two of them. I don't think they've been alone together since Bill was born! Mum and Dad came home very late last night, all happy and smiling…I'm glad they had a good time.

But, unfortunately, today, we made up for yesterday's non-cleaning activities…meaning, we did double the work today. Ron, Fred, and George were assigned to clean the third floor hallway, and Hermione and I took the second floor hallway. Mum said that she and Sirius were going to find Kreacher, and see if he can help with some of the cleaning.

Hermione was furious; she wants Kreacher to "relax". Yep. S.P.E.W. rages on in Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place…but whenever Ron tells her to stop talking about it, she shuts up…whenever I ask her to stop talking about it, she keeps going.

Hmmmm…are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Of course you are.

I never realized how thoroughly…DIRTY…a hallway can be. I mean, I knew that it was going to be more "contaminated" than the rest of the house, because this hallway is the only way to the upper floors of the house, where everyone else is staying, so it wasn't like I was expecting a sparkling clean floor.

But what I found was just…nauseating.

The carpet is matted down with dirt, dust, crumbs, unidentifiable liquid…you name it, and we found it there. Mum gave us scrubbing brushes and we had to SCRUB all of that crap out of the carpet. I was sneezing so hard I could barely see in front of me! And the molding that runs along the wall was covered with a solid layer of dust. I don't know WHAT that house elf has been doing for all of these years, but he certainly hasn't been cleaning!

By the time lunchtime came around, Hermione and I had only gotten a quarter of the hallway scrubbed. Ron, Fred, and George came down to see how we were doing, and they had dirt all over their faces! Mum wasn't too happy about that. She made all of us wash up before lunch.

Fred and George looked a little too happy to get back to cleaning. Something tells me that they've found something that will aid in their newest invention. Mum noticed it, too; later on, I heard her ask Fred and George to empty their pockets of everything they had in them.

About an hour and a half after lunch, when Hermione and I were taking a break by slumping against the clean (thanks to us) wall, we heard someone come into the house downstairs. We rushed over to the banister just in time to see Professor Snape rush down the hallway to the kitchen. He was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet, and Hermione whispered to me that it probably has something to do with the Order.

Hermione sent me upstairs to see if Fred and George could get out their Extendable Ears so we could hear what was going on in the kitchen. They came right down, Ron at their heels. Hermione rushed over to him and started to explain what was going on. She was whispering awfully close to him…poor old Ron's ears were turning redder by the second. Ah…true love in its finest…

We didn't find out much through the Extendable Ears, but we did hear Mum, Dad, Professor Lupin, Sirius, and Snape talking about Harry. The Prophet is reporting that any day now, "the Boy-Who-Lived should be getting into even more trouble", and that's got Dumbledore very worried. He wants Sirius, Ron, and Hermione to continuously tell Harry to keep his nose clean, and not to do anything rash that might expose himself to You-Know-Who or any Death Eaters.

Mum said that she would go right upstairs and tell Ron and Hermione of the news, so we had to quickly scatter and pretend that we had been cleaning all along. Mum took Hermione over to a corner to tell her the news, which I don't really understand. I mean, I don't write to Harry…I don't think I ever have but come on! I deserve to know some things around here, even if I already know them prior. Okay, that didn't make any sense. Moving on…

I'm sitting here in bed, writing in this journal, obviously. I'm wearing the necklace that Michael gave me, and suddenly, I'm glad that I didn't ask him for an emerald necklace. I'm not going to be wasting my time pining after Harry, and the emeralds would just be a constant reminder of him. Besides, I've taken a liking to rubies…

Hermione's asking me where I got the necklace. I told her it was from Michael. Her eyes went wide and she started shooting questions at me. I told her that Michael's uncle in France makes custom jewelry, and that's where the necklace came from. She looks a little jealous…maybe she wishes Ron would get her a necklace from France.

Hah! Hermione Granger, jealous of Ginny Weasley? Who would have guessed?

All right. I'm just going to finish up a Potions essay and then go to sleep.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Another longer chapter! You guys are so lucky! Okay, okay…I'll stop.

I'd like to thank all of my amazing reviewers! Sorry, I can't list names today. Hotmail is going CRAZY, as usual, and I can't get to my e-mail alerts. So sorry! But keep it up, you guys! I love reading reviews!

Only two more days until HBP! Actually, less than that. I'm going to try and finish the entire book in one day. I finished OotP in two days…I'm sure I could do it in less than that this time around!

:Breaking News:

A lot of you have been asking me if I'm going to stop updating when HBP come out. Here's my answer:

NO WAY!

This story has nothing to do with HBP. It takes place in an entire different year. I'll be reading the book, of course, but I will still continue daily updates on this story. So don't worry you guys!

Also, people have been asking about Ginny's ruby necklace. It's NOT supposed to be emeralds! She didn't ask for emeralds! She felt compelled to ask Michael for them, but because they reminded her of Harry, she opted for rubies instead. I hope that clears everything up!

So…how did I do with this chapter? I think it was a little rushed…please don't flame me!

Please, please, PLEASE review!

-Rox


	16. July 15, 1995

July 15, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, Hermione must have had a blast today.

Mum sent us to clean the Black library.

I have never seen so many books in my entire life.

Okay, so I have, and that's at the library in Hogwarts, but the books in the Black library are all about the Dark Arts. I was flipping through one of them, titled "101 Ways to Curse Someone Into Oblivion", and I hadn't even heard of half of the curses and jinxes that were mentioned in that book. Mum spotted me reading up on the Bat-Bogey Hex and she banned any of us from reading the other books.

On second thought, Hermione's heart must have been breaking today, because Sirius ordered us to throw out some of the old books. One of them had teeth set into the binding, and Fred got bit on his hand when he pulled the book off of the shelf. George asked Sirius if they could try and extract the teeth from the book, but Sirius said no, mostly because Mum was listening in on the conversation, thought.

Sirius told all of us that the library hadn't been used in over fifteen years, because his mother never went into the library, and after his father died, his mother locked the library door.

There was no carpet in the library, just wood flooring that was covered in dust and dirt. The wood itself was rotting, and Mum and Sirius used Scourging Charms on every inch of the floor. You could see green mold growing in the spaces between the slats of wood. It was gross. Mum caught Fred trying to scrape some of the mold into a plastic bag, and she wouldn't shut up for at least forty-five minutes.

We were cleaning right up until lunch, and then Mum left to make sandwiches(that's all we ever seem to eat for lunch these days!). While she was gone, I saw Sirius slip Fred that bag of mold that Mum made him throw out! I knew it all along! Sirius HAS been helping Fred and George with their joke inventions.

Of course, I'm not going to tell Mum. That would get Sirius in trouble, and he hasn't done anything to deserve that. At least, that's what George told me.

When Mum came back with the sandwiches, Fred had safely hidden the bag upstairs in his bedroom. He and George were exchanging smirks with Sirius for the rest of the day. I wonder why they need MOLD for their latest invention. Maybe it's some type of poison, and they're planning on sending it to Percy once they get a hold of where his new Ministry office is. Ha.

After lunch, Mum and Sirius left. They had a meeting with Mrs. Arabella Figg, who lives by Harry. I think she's reporting to them if anything strange has happened around Harry's house. Hermione and Ron look rather anxious. I wish I could say I feel the same way.

Oh, god. What am I saying? It's not like I don't care about Harry at all! I do care about his safety, and if he ever got hurt…sure, I would feel bad about it. But every since…well, I guess the Yule Ball in December…my thoughts and feelings for Harry have been gradually decreasing. Partly, it's because of Michael. I mean, he IS my boyfriend, after all. And partly, it's because I finally see that Harry doesn't see me as anything more than a friend, if that. Maybe I'm still Ron's little sister who he had to save from big bad Tom Riddle.

But I promised myself I wasn't going to worry abut that…so…moving on…

After Mum and Sirius went to meet with Mrs. Figg, Fred and George dashed upstairs to work with the mold, and Ron and Hermione resorted to talking quietly in the corner of the library, leaving me, all by myself, sitting in Mr. Black's old desk. I heard the words "Harry", "worried", "wonder", "hopefully" in their conversation, and every once in a while, Ron would look over to make sure I wasn't eavesdropping. Of course, I was, in fact, eavesdropping, but I didn't want him or Hermione knowing that!

I doubt Mum's going to tell us if anything's happened to Harry. Maybe Harry's welfare if strictly Order business, since Dumbledore is the only person who's keeping Harry with his Muggle aunt and uncle. From what Hermione's told me, his relatives would do anything to get rid of him altogether. Mum thinks that it's absolutely atrocious. Maybe that's why he's always spending the summer with us. It's not just Ron who wants him at the Burrow…and no, I don't mean that the other person is me! Well, it used to be me, but now…

Oh. My. God. I. Can. Not. Shut. Up!

Moving on…

Okay, so I spent an hour in the library, just staring around and flipping through some of the books that Sirius didn't want thrown away. After a while, no one came back to tell us to keep cleaning, so I retreated up here, to my bedroom. Ron and Hermione are somewhere in the house. Maybe they're snogging each other senseless in a closet somewhere.

I better go find them before someone else does. I'll write more tomorrow. Bye!

-Ginny

* * *

Wow. I'm getting a hang of these longer chapters!

Before I address anything else, I'd like to say that I have gotten OVER ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS! Woot Woot! Party over here! Woot Woot! Thanks so much you guys!

Special thanks to the following people for reviewing the previous chapter: **Draco'sBrokenAngel, Ronniekinzluvr, IamSiriusGrl, Kelso the Great, Jazipan, Babe Bunny, and prongsgurl202113.** You guys are great!

Okay, onto the addressing of important issues. **Please read before reviewing. This is VERY IMPORTANT!**

Tomorrow, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be finally(!) released. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, I will still be updating, as I promised that I would be covering every single day from June 30 through September 1. I know, I've been called crazy over the past few days by some of my reviewers because I'll be updating while reading HBP, but I'm not only writing for the reviewers and the readers…I'm writing for myself, and that's very important to me a writer.

I will not be expecting a lot of reviews in the next few days, because most of you guys will probably be off reading HBP. But, if you do find the time to read my latest chapter, please, REVIEW! The feedback is much appreciated, and the reviews do not go unnoticed. So don't hesitate to tell me what you think, even if it's just a "that was awesome update soon".

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!

Some of you have reviewed, saying that you hope I'll change the story to fit the HBP plotline.

I WILL NOT BE ADDING SPOILERS FOR HBP IN THIS STORY!

This story takes place **_BEFORE_** the events in HBP, and therefore, I will be sticking to the OOTP Summer plotline!

That means that if Ginny and Dean get together in HBP, I will NOT write it into my story. If Ginny and Harry get together in HBP, I will NOT write it into my story. If Ron and Hermione get together in HBP, I will NOT write it into my story. Yes, as much as it pains me to do so as a die-hard RHr fan, I'm sticking to what happened in OOTP, not HBP. If anything else happens in HBP that contradicts with the events in my story, I WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING!

I just wanted to get that cleared up. This story does not take place in HBP, therefore, I will not conform it to fit that plotline.

I expect that I'll be losing a few(or more) reviewers by sticking with the OOTP plotline, but I'm not a fan of AU stories, and by changing my own story to fit in with HBP, I'd be technically making it into an AU story. I prefer sticking to canon facts and events as much as possible.

Please, don't flame me for what I've said. This is concerning me. I don't want any reviews saying, "You're stupid! That didn't happen in HBP! I'm never reading this story again!".

Tell me how I did with this chapter. You can tell me if you agree or disagree with my sticking to the OOTP plotline, but please, I don't want any insults, profanities, or shouts of "I hate this story! I'm never reading this again!" in my inbox tomorrow morning.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings.

Please, review!

-Rox


	17. July 16, 1995

July 16, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Today was probably one of the most disgusting cleaning days I have ever endured. Just guess what we had to clean this time.

No clue?

It was the first floor bathroom…yeah.

Sirius warned Ron, Hermione, and I that the bathroom was never used, even when he was growing up, as a kid. He told us that we shouldn't tackle the bathroom by ourselves, that we should at least wait until Mum and Professor Lupin got out of the meeting with Dumbledore. But did we listen?

No.

But we sure should have.

Hermione and I made Ron go first. Hermione said that he was the "man of the group", and his ears went all red when he pushed open the door. He stepped inside and let out a cry of, "Bloody gross!"

Bloody gross? Hah. That's an understatement on SO many levels.

The tiled floor was covered in water. We later discovered that the toilet had overflowed, but it wasn't a recent flood. Oh no. When we called Sirius in, he said that the water was more than five years old, maybe even older.

Dis. Gust. Ing.

The water was brown, and mold and all sorts of other stuff was breeding on every surface of the bathroom. The meeting was still going on, and Mum wanted us to get finished with the bathroom by the time the meeting was over, so we braved the revolting lavatory as best as we could.

The bathroom on the first floor is rather small, compared with the one on the second floor. There's just a toilet, a sink, and a big cabinet filled with ancient-looking creams, lotions, and sprays. But it was still hell trying to make it look decent.

After about an hour of wading through the water and grimacing at the mold, we finally gave up. We waited outside the kitchen, unable to hear anything inside. When we directed Mum towards the bathroom, she opened the door and nearly fainted. She shooed us all away, told us to get started on something else, and called nearly half the Order to help with the water.

And now I'm really bored. I'm not about to start cleaning again, either. Hermione's taking a shower, because we all have that odor that is unique to filthy bathrooms. I'm just waiting for her to get out. I don't think I can stand this stench any longer!

I'm sitting here in the hallway, because I refuse to go into my bedroom, unless the room will smell all night, and I'll never get to sleep. It's a good thing I decided not to wear my ruby necklace this morning; besides, Ron would have wanted to know who it was from, and then a huge argument would have broken out…and so on and so on.

Speaking of the ruby necklace, I haven't really heard a whole lot from Michael lately. I hope I'll get to spend more time with him once school starts. I'll just have to be careful around Ron, Fred, and George that's all, unless I want them plotting revenge against Michael for the rest of term.

I'm hoping to get a letter from Colin Creevey soon. He and I have grown very close, and he's a very good friend of mine. I guess it all started back when we both had an insane obsession with Harry for our first and second years at Hogwarts. I wrote Colin a few days back, and he still hasn't sent a reply. I hope he's all right.

Ron's just announced that he's writing a letter to Harry. He's looking at me, expecting me to jump up and start babbling about his best friend, like I used to. Oh, how much he has missed, how much he has missed…

Oh. Hermione's just come out of the bathroom. It seems she's forgotten her clothes in our bedroom, so she's out here in a towel. I can see Ron's face burning even from over here.

Well, I'm off to take a shower. Bye!

-Ginny

* * *

Wow. I'm updating a lot earlier than I thought!

I'd like to thank my fantastic reviewers. Sorry, no list this time! Damn you, Hotmail account! Bu thanks, to everyone who's reviewed so far. I really appreciate it!

Well, I got the Half-Blood Prince this morning! I nearly mauled my dad when he came walking in through the door with the book in his hands. I got up to chapter five, got a little anxious, flipped around a bit, and read something that I wish I hadn't read. I'm mad at myself now for spoiling the book for myself! Gah! Me and my temptation…

I'm not going to give any spoilers away here, but as of chapters five and six, I haven't seen anything that would point to a Ron/Hermione romance. But that could all change! Who knows?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Tell me how I did! I know, the bathroom thing was a little gross, but I wanted to kick it up a notch.

Oh, yes, and the reason I'm updating so quickly is because I want to see if I can finish the entire book between the hours of 3 PM and Midnight. It's quarter to three at the moment and I want to see if I can break my record of ten hours.

Wish me luck, and please review!

-Rox


	18. July 17, 1995

July 17, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, to pick up where I left off last night, my shower was rather relaxing. That is, of course, before an ugly old ghoul decided to pop itself out of the shower drain and scare the living crap out of me.

I screamed bloody murder, like any normal nearly-fourteen-year-old girl would do if something suddenly made its appearance while you wear taking a shower. But I cut my scream short, realizing that in about fifteen seconds, half of the Order was going to come bounding into the bathroom, while I was standing there, soaking wet and stark naked.

Sure enough, I heard footsteps sounding heavily outside the door. At first, I thought it was Hermione, but instead I heard a rough voice say:

"Ginny, you all right in there?"

It was Sirius! I clutched the shower curtain around my body, but after ten seconds, nothing happened, so I hollered over the water that a ghoul had just frightened me, that was all.

"Okay, then. We'll figure it out in the morning."

And then he left.

So, this morning at breakfast, Sirius mentioned the ghoul in the bathroom to Mum while she was making Ron, who had woken up very late, some toast and eggs. She said that she would investigate the shower after today's Order meeting (which is still going on, by the way, and it's nearly four in the afternoon). Now I'm dead afraid to go to the bathroom on the second floor, and so is Hermione, so we're using the one on the third floor until the ghoul is taken care of.

Speaking of the Order meeting, none of us has any clue what they're talking about downstairs in the kitchen. Mum's gone and put some sort of charm on the door, and now the Extendable Ears can't get through the space between the floor and the door. And it seems that everyone's whispering; usually, the members are shouting back and forth to each other, so we can figure out what they're doing anyway, without the help of the Ears. But today, there isn't a single sound from the kitchen, and, I must admit, it's unnerving me quite a bit.

Hermione told me this morning that she and Ron haven't heard from Harry. I told her that Ron just wrote to him last night, but she still seemed worried. Obviously, Harry replies to his letters fairly quickly, and they would have gotten replies by now. Hermione reported this to Mum, who said she would mention it to the Order once the meeting started.

Oh, I almost forgot! I received, finally, a letter from Colin Creevey this afternoon, just before lunch. He said that he couldn't reply to my letter a few days ago because his family has just recently gone on vacation in Scotland. He sent me some of the pictures he took from his Muggle hotel room. They're absolutely beautiful. There's also a picture of a Muggle television, with an attached note that says, "I think your dad should find this one interesting. –Colin". I'm not sure if I really should show that picture to Dad. He might have an excitement attack and faint.

So, anyway, I'm sitting here in my room, alone, because Hermione's gone off (again!) to visit Ron. Honestly, I don't know WHAT those two talk about all the time, but they better start snogging, or I'll just have to lock them in a closet until they do.

We've just finished cleaning the "good" portraits in the second floor hallway. Sirius and Mum came out of the meeting, instructing us which portraits to take down, and which ones to keep. Sirius wanted to get rid of all of them, but Mum said that a few of them were rather polite and deserved to stay hanging in the halls of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Sirius walked away muttering about how he just wanted his "hag of a mother off of these damn walls".

I actually had a rather lengthy conversation with one of the portraits I was cleaning. The portrait was of a beautiful young woman with long, black curls and the same gray eyes that Sirius has. She told me that her name was Araminta, and she chatted happily about the dress she was wearing while I scrubbed the frame around her portrait clean. It was only when she started talking about making Muggle-hunting legal that I hung her back on the wall and decided to help Hermione tackle a rather stubborn portrait calling himself, "The King of Black".

Ah, Hermione's just returned from our dear Ronald's room. Her face looks a little pink, and she isn't speaking to me in coherent sentences. My, my, what have we here? Hah. Can't you just tell that I'm loving every second of this?

I asked Fred when he thinks we're going to be allowed to go to Diagon Alley, but he says he doesn't know. I'm in a desperate need of ink, and I'm going to need some soon if I want to keep writing in this journal.

Oh, god. I really am low on ink. And Hermione's left the room again.

Goodnight! Hopefully I'll find some ink before morning.

-Ginny

* * *

:Gasp: Will Ginny find ink before tomorrow? The only way to find out is to check back for the next update tomorrow!

Once again, I'd like to thank all of my fantastic reviewers. I think the review count is around 120: Looks up at the screen: Yep, it is 120! Thanks so much you guys! I don't really have time to thank everyone personally, but I really appreciate all the feedback, even if it's just a "Wow, great chapter, and update soon!" It really means a lot to me!

Well…on a much less brighter note…

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO mad at my mother.

Why?

**SHE WON'T LET ME READ HALF-BLOOD PRINCE!**

Yes, yes, I can hear the collective gasps now. I got the book yesterday at around ten in the morning, and I decided to let it sit for a few hours, because I can't read when I'm excited, and I was OVER THE TOP ECSTATIC. So I updated hear and it was around three o' clock when I started reading HBP in my living room.

I got up to around chapter twelve or so, and I started rubbing my eyes, because they tend to hurt if I read for long periods of time without stopping. Well, Mom saw me do that, and she snatched the book away from me, saying, "You're reading too much. I'm taking you to the eye doctor today."

So, apparently, I need glasses. But now my mom won't even let me TOUCH the HBP book! I did manage to flip to the end, because I probably won't be able to read the book for another two weeks (yes, yes, it's sad, but true). So I know who died, and who killed that person, as well as a few tidbits. But I still don't know the entire story, so please don't give away any spoilers in your reviews!

Now, my father is reading HBP in the living room, and he's almost done with it. He keeps telling me that he can just tell me all of the spoilers, but I want to read it all for myself. I already ruined it for myself by looking ahead, but I just couldn't help it!

:Sigh:.

So…how did you like this chapter? I remember J.K. Rowling saying somewhere that Ginny and Colin Creevey are rather close, so I tried to include that little bit in there. Tell me how I did!

Thanks for reading, and please review(!)

-Rox


	19. July 18, 1995

July 18, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, I did find ink, just in time to write in this journal tonight. Hermione had an entire bottle of ink that she never used, and she said I could have it. I looked in her trunk to see if she has any extra quills, and she has about twenty extra bottles of ink, and an entire box of one hundred quills in there. Talk about being prepared for the O.W.L.s…

Breakfast this morning as a complete fiasco. Actually, fiasco is an understatement. What was that word that Hermione used in her latest letter to Harry?

Oh yeah. Scratch that last paragraph.

Breakfast this morning was pandemonium.

Sure, it started off peacefully enough, like all of the breakfasts have been so far during the summer, give or take a few meals. Dad left for work early, so by the time Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George got downstairs, Mum already had eggs and sausages set out of plates for us.

Then, Sirius came downstairs, and we were launching into a discussion of what cleaning had to be done today, when suddenly, Professor Lupin burst into the kitchen and said that a Howler had just arrived. And guess who it was addressed to?

Nope, not Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Professor Lupin, or me. No.

The Howler was addressed to Mum.

The look on Mum's face told me that she already knew who had sent her the Howler, but I sure as hell didn't know. She took the red envelope in her hands, opened it, and suddenly, a huge explosion of sound echoed off the stonewalls. I remember the Howler word for word. I'll probably remember it until my dying day:

"STOP WRITING TO ME, WOMAN! YOU ARE NO LONGER MY MOTHER AND I AM NO LONGER YOUR SON! I AM NOT A PART OF YOUR FAMILY! I DO NOT WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE UTTER LIES OUT OF DUMBLEDORE'S AND HARRY POTTER'S MOUTHS! IF YOU WRITE ONE MORE LETTER TO ME, BEGGING ME TO COME HOME, I SWEAR ON MY LIFE THAT I WILL REPORT YOU TO THE OFFICE OF MAGICAL POST REGULATION AND HAVE YOUR OWLS CONFISCATED! FROM PERCIVAL IGNATIUS WEASLEY, JUNIOR SECRETARY TO THE MINISTER OF MAGIC."

Yes, dear journal, my ex-brother, Percy, had the nerve to send Mum a Howler.

None of us knew that she had been writing to him. As soon as the letter ripped itself into thousands of shredded pieces of parchment, Mum burst into tears and leaned over the stove, sobbing. Professor Lupin jumped up and walked briskly over to her, and she started crying on his shoulder. Fred and George left the table wordlessly, without even touching their food. Hermione seemed close to tears at the sight of Mum, and Ron and Sirius sat there, angry in the near-silence.

Professor Lupin brought Mum upstairs, and after that, Sirius told us that he needed our help to confiscate the "worthless junk" that Kreacher had stolen. Hermione was fuming. She told Sirius that Kreacher had every right to own his own possessions, but he kindly reminded her that everything belonged to him (Sirius), and not Kreacher.

So, right after breakfast, Ron, Hermione, and I (Fred and George refused to leave their bedroom) followed Sirius up into the attic, where Sirius believed that Kreacher was hiding all of the junk.

Sure enough, Kreacher was crouched down in a dusty corner of the attic, crooning over a sulking picture of Bellatrix Lestrange, whom Sirius told me was in Azkaban and has been for several years. Sirius managed to get a hold of the picture of her, and Kreacher ran off, sobbing angry tears. Hermione kept throwing dirty looks at Sirius behind his back while he tossed everything in Kreacher's junk pile into a plastic rubbish bag.

After we finished finding most of the junk (apparently, Kreacher smuggled some old socks into his loincloth, which I find rather disgusting and disturbing), we heard Mum give a tearful scream from her bedroom, followed by Dad's soothing voice. Ron said he was going downstairs to check on her. I just couldn't bear to see her in such a state, caused by my ex-brother…Mum's own son. The nerve of that git…

Hermione and I found some old photo albums in a dusty cardboard box, and Sirius said we were welcome to take any pictures that we found amusing. Well, I combed three albums for any more baby pictures of Draco Malfoy, and I managed to find seven pictures. Hermione asked me if I fancied Malfoy, and I said: "No way in hell!" I just want these pictures for blackmail once term starts, that's all.

Me…fancy MALFOY? Ew!

Sirius fixed us lunch, because Mum was still crying her eyes out. I found out from Professor Lupin that Dad came home from work for a while to try and calm Mum down, but she won't stop sobbing. I saw Dad Floo back to work…he looks fit to strangle Percy until he drops dead on the floor. Go, Dad, go!

After lunch, we all went our separate ways. Hermione started reading some Arithmancy book, Ron went off to see if Fred and George wanted to play chess(I can't play, and it's not even worth it, because Ron beats everyone), and I decided to retreat to my journal.

And here I am now.

I'm wearing my ruby necklace again. I don't know why, but I just love the feeling of the gold against my skin. It reminds me so much of Michael…oh god.

Oh. My. God.

I feel just the way I felt when I used to like Harry, except this time around, the object of my affection is Michael.

God, I never thought I would ever have this feeling again! I was so set on Harry…but then I realized that he doesn't see me that way. I'll say it was, I'll say it again, I'll sat it a million times: It's the truth.

I better go before I start rambling on about Michael. I'll write tomorrow. I think I'll go visit Mum now. I think she's stopped crying.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

This is a much longer chapter than I usually write, so I hope everyone enjoyed it!

Hooray! My Hotmail account is up and running, and just because I'm so happy, I'm going to thank all of my lovely reviewers personally:

**Morei Sky: **The bazooka is not necessary, but thanks for reviewing!

**Kelso the Great: **Wow…it only took you three hours! Thanks for the review(s)!

**Uasoccerbear08: **To answer your question, I'm 13 years old. Thanks for the review!

**Prongsgurl202113: **Oh, I hope you get your book! Thanks!

**MarliS: **Aw…thanks!

**IamSiriusGrl: **Thanks so much!

**Ronniekinzluvr: **Thanks very much for taking the time to review!

Thanks to everyone who felt bad for me not being able to read Half-Blood Prince for like, a whole entire week. My cousin finished the book this morning, and she just HAD to call me up and she just HAD to tell me what a WONDERFUL book HBP was. So, Julia, my dearest cousin, if you're reading this, DON'T CALL ME TO TELL ME ANY SPOILERS!

I feel so…left out that I don't know the entire story behind HBP yet. I know some vague details, but that's it.

Do you think I should steal the book from my mom and read it in the dead of night? Tell me in a review! LOL

So…how did you like this chapter? I made it a bit longer, since everyone seems to be enjoying the longer chapters. I just had to include that bit about Percy and the Howler. I was reading OotP this morning, and I got angry with Percy all over again, and I had to put that in this chapter.

Please tell me what you think!

Please review!

Thanks!

-Rox


	20. July 19, 1995

July 19, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I am dead tired. And no, I'm not dead tired just because Mum had all of us (including Bill) cleaning a huge trophy/awards room just off of Buckbeak's/Mrs. Black's bedroom. I was tired even before all of that started because I was up half the night, afraid to close my eyes.

Why?

I had another nightmare about You-Know-Who last night.

I don't even remember how I drifted off to sleep, but the last time I remember seeing a clock, it was around ten. I must have dozed off for a while, because the next thing I knew, I was looking up into Riddle's face and actually feeling every ounce of strength draining from my body all over again…

When Riddle was just about to reach for my wand, I heard someone calling my name frantically. I opened my eyes to see Hermione's frightened face looking over me. I tried to sit up, but I felt dizzy, due to the fact that my head was swimming in thoughts of Riddle and my heart was pounding so fast I thought it was going to jump out of my chest. I was all tangled up in my bed sheets, and when I looked around, I realized that Hermione had still been awake during my nightmare, reading an Ancient Runes textbook at the desk by candlelight. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly half past eleven.

Hermione wanted for Mum to check me out, to see if everything was all right, but I told her no. Mum has enough things to worry about without me running to her every time I have a nightmare. Hermione looked doubtful as she blew out the candle, but I assured her that I was perfectly fine.

So, I spent the hours between midnight and four in the morning with my eyes glued open, staring around the room. My heart started to pound every time I saw a shadow move in the room, or every time I heard the floorboards creak outside the door. I was so convinced that Riddle was in the house that for a while, I had my eyes frozen to the door, expecting him to burst into the room at any moment.

I must have fallen asleep sometime, because before I knew it, Hermione was gently shaking me awake. I was groggy, but I heard her say that Mum wanted us downstairs by seven. I asked her what time it was. She said it was just after six.

That's just when the fun started! Ha. I wish.

Let me just summarize what happened to me between six and seven this morning.

I stubbed my toe on my dresser when I went to get my clothes. I got my brush stuck in my hair when I tried to get a knot out. When I started to reach for my wand, it exploded and morphed into a rubber duck. Turns out that Fred and George have planted their trick wands all over the house, and just decided to place one on my nightstand when I wasn't looking. They're rather clever for thinking of that, actually, but that's getting off topic…

Oh yeah. And I almost fell down a flight of stairs but I caught myself on the banister just in time.

Breakfast was, well, rather amusing. Since Bill usually heads off for Gringotts before any of us wake up, we don't normally have him for breakfast. But this morning, he decided to take a day off to help us with the cleaning. Mum thought this was the perfect chance to persuade Bill to cut his hair. It's nearly as long as mine now, but it looks perfectly fine on Bill. Obviously, Mum can't see that.

The instant Bill sat his bum down in a chair, Mum started attacking him about his hair. She actually took out a pair of scissors from the utility drawer and was about to cut his ponytail when he wasn't looking, but Bill shifted in his seat at exactly the right moment.

Mum and Bill argued for ten minutes about the importance of "looking clean and tidy". When she realized that he was wearing his fang earring again, she started shouting about that, too. Something like, "that awful fang has got to go, William Weasley!"

Finally, Bill decided to take a survey around the table on whether or not he should allow Mum to cut his hair. Of course, we all said no, even Hermione. Mum threw her hands in the hair as a sign of defeat and shook her head as she turned to put away the leftover sausages. Bill winked at Hermione and I and started telling us a new joke he heard at Gringotts, about the goblin, the hag, and the bartender. I could have sworn that I've heard that joke before…it sounds like one that Dumbledore might say.

After breakfast, Mum sent us all down to the trophy/awards room. Sirius refused to help us. It seems that all of the awards have Permanent Sticking charms on the backs, so we have to clean them while they're up on the wall. I think Sirius just wanted to avoid having to see anything that reminds him of his family.

The trophy room is not unlike the one at Hogwarts. It's large, circular, and every inch of the walls is covered in plaques, shields, trophies, documents, portraits, and there's even a glass case displaying every birth certificate of the Black family. I checked, and Sirius's isn't there.

Mum split us up into two groups. Fred, George, and I took one side of the room, and Ron, Hermione, and Bill took the other. I was a bit disappointed when I wasn't put into Bill's group…I really want to hear the end of that joke. But this gave me the chance to talk to Fred and George about what they're really doing with their joke shop.

While we were polishing shields and plaques, George explained to me that he and Fred are working on a new invention, Skiving Snackboxes. They are a "range of sweets that make you ill, but not permanently, so that you may enjoy a leisure activity of your choice during the time you would have spent in a boring classroom". They've got Nosebleed Nougat, Puking Pastilles, and Fainting Fancies so far. Fred told me that they needed testers, and guess what?

I volunteered.

I mean, come on, it can't be dangerous, and it's not like Mum is going to find out. I've been dying to see what Fred and George are really up to with all that junk they've been stealing. They made me swear not to tell Mum; they don't want the Skiving Snackboxes confiscated and thrown out after all of their hard work.

I really don't know what I've gotten myself into, but that's the least of my problems at the moment.

It took most of the day to finish the trophy room, and by the time we were done, my hands were sore and throbbing from all the scrubbing and polishing I had been doing. Mum gave all of us some "special" cream to rub on our hands, and it smells like the dying begonias that we had back at the Burrow one summer. She sent us all upstairs until dinner, and I finally got the chance to talk to Hermione. Turns out, she heard the end of the goblin, hag, and bartender joke. I must say, it was rather funny.

I got a letter from Michael! It was sitting on the edge of my bed when I came upstairs. I read through the entire thing very slowly, and I gave a yelp that caused Hermione to knock a candle over:

HE SIGNED IT LOVE, MICHAEL!

He's never done that before…it gave me quite a fright when I read it. Hermione's glaring at me now, because the candle burned the edge of her completed Potions essay about bezoars and their many uses.

God, now Hermione's talking about starting a group about goblins, like she did with elves. Dear Lord, help us. Maybe she'll call it G.A.G.S.—Girls Against Goblin Slavery? Ha.

Anyway, back to Michael.

He sent me a picture of himself standing on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Oh, god, he's so handsome…I hope we get to talk together more once term starts up again.

You know what I just realized? I'm thinking less and less about Harry this summer! You should have seen me in my first and second years at Hogwarts. The words "Harry Potter" were all I seemed to think about! Hermione should be proud of me…she's been telling me for weeks that I have to move on with my life and go out with other people.

Lovely. Mum's calling me downstairs. Maybe I have to help with dinner again…or maybe she found my pictures of Draco Malfoy! Hermione looks a bit shifty right now…what if she told Mum about my pictures?

I promise I'll write tomorrow. I need to work on some homework after dinner so Mum and Hermione will get off of my back about holiday work.

Good night!

-Ginny

:Gasp: Did Hermione tell Mrs. Weasley about the baby Draco Malfoy pictures! Will the baby pictures be confiscated! The only way to find out is to wait for the next update! It's not much of a cliffhanger, but for those of you who have been big fans of the Baby Draco Malfoy Pictures plot…who knows?

I'd like to thank my fantastic reviewers:

**PadfootGal: **Are you calling me an idiot? I only read the ending because I thought I would never be able to get my hands on HBP again. Thanks for the nicer portion of the review, though.

**IamSiriusGrl: **Thanks so much! I can't wait to read your next review!

**Prongsgurl202113: **Oh, poor dear, you still haven't gotten your book? Here. :Passes HBP stolen from mother through the computer screen: I really hope you get your book soon, and thanks so much for reviewing!

**Morei Sky: **I totally agree. Percy and Snape are both insufferable gits. Thanks for reviewing!

**Uasoccerbear08: **Thanks very much! Keep on reviewing!

**Kelso the Great: **Oh, a bet, eh? Yeah, well, I lost a bet to my cousin, Julia, because my mother took away the HBP book before I could finish it. Julia's a speed-reader, I swear! Anyway, thanks for the review!

**Ronniekinzluver: **Aw, thanks so much! Can't wait to read your next review!

**Fatalgambler: **Thanks for the constructive criticism in your review. I'll try to include some of your suggestions, because they really are great ideas, but I'll also portray Ginny the way I feel she really is. Thanks so much for taking the time to review!

:Breaking News:

I HAVE FINISHED HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE!

Last night, my parents and my sister went out to dinner, and I decided to stay home. I found the HBP book hidden in a drawer in my dining room, and I snuck the book into my bedroom and hid it underneath my bed before my parents and my sister came back. I completed the book between the hours of 11 PM and 4:30 AM without a single yawn! But now I'm dead tired, and it's a miracle I'm not slumped over the keyboard, fast asleep, yet.

I loooooooove HBP! There's a lot more romance in the sixth installment, and it's much darker and sadder than the other books. I can't believe killed (for those of you who have read the book, you know who the blanks are)! I guess Jo has her reasons.

There were plenty of Ron/Hermione moments in there, too, which satisfied the rabid RHr shipper in me. I actually cried during the parts where it said Hermione was on the verge of tears or crying. I loved every second of every page!

So how do you think I did with this chapter? I took FatalGambler's advice and ramped up Ginny's thought level a bit. This chapter is rather long, and I'm getting the hang of it, so except lengthy entries in the near future! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.

Now, you know what you need to do! Review, and tell me how I did!

Another thing...PLEASE READ! IMPORTANT STUFF BELOW!

I'll be posting a funny and romanticOliver Wood/OC story in a few hours, called "Puddlemere Night Stand". But don't worry! I'll still be updating "Hear My Voice". I'll be juggling the two stories, and neither story will suffer because of the other. So be sure to check that story out, too, and keep reviewing, folks!

Oh yeah! Almost forgot!

If anyone wants to chat about Half-Blood Prince, you can IM me at:

BaBi bLu 762 

I'm online most of the day, and I'd love to talk with my reviewers!

Thanks for reading, and please review!

-Rox


	21. July 20, 1995

July 20, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, the blackmail pictures of Draco Malfoy are perfectly safe. However, the truth about my nightmares is not.

It turns out that when I had my back turned yesterday, Hermione went and told Mum that I'd been having recurring nightmares about Riddle. She said that I was waking up, panting and scared half to death, in the middle of the night, and that I refused to tell anyone else about the dreams. So, when Mum called me downstairs last night before dinner, it wasn't to ask me to help cook, it was to talk to me about my nightmares.

We sat across from each other at the kitchen table, and Mum explained to me what Hermione had said. At first, I felt a little angry with 'Mione, but when Mum asked me if it was true, my anger faded away. I suddenly felt like a little girl again. I opened my mouth to say something, but my throat had gone dry and I couldn't speak. My eyes filled with tears, and I could see that Mum was about to cry, too. I simply nodded and felt two solitary tears slide down my cheeks. Mum sniffled, put her hands on top of mine, and told me not to worry, that we would find a way to work this out.

I begged Mum not to tell Dad, or Ron, or any of the others. I told her I didn't want them worrying or being too overprotective of me, like they did when I came home from my first year, after the Chamber of Secrets. She said that she needed to tell Dad ("He has a right to know, you're his daughter.") but she wouldn't tell Ron or anyone else unless I wanted her to.

Mum asked me how it was going with Michael, and I saw that she could barely suppress a smirk. I told her the truth: everything with Michael is going smoothly. I explained to her how Michael had signed his last letter, "Love," and Mum smiled and launched into her own rather funny story about the time Dad signed his first letter, "Love,"

Mum let me go back upstairs a few minutes later, after telling me that whenever I had a nightmare, I should tell her right away. I smiled and left. When I returned to my room, I found Hermione perched anxiously on the edge of her bed, mauling her fingernails with her teeth. She said that she hoped I wouldn't be too upset with her: "But your mum had a right to know." I told Hermione that I wasn't angry at her that much, and that as long as she didn't breathe a word about the Malfoy pictures, I would be perfectly okay for the rest of the summer.

Dinner last night was superb! Tonks came by again, and she did some impressions of her boss, Auror Tim Duncan, while we ate. It was quite amusing. Even Mum couldn't help but laugh when Tonks said, in a high-pitched voice, "Nymphadora, how many times are you going to trip in the hallway today?"

After dinner, Mum chased us all upstairs. Mrs. Figg came again last night with another report on Harry, and Fred told us everything that he heard on the Extendable Ears. Nothing unusual is going on, but Harry seems restless, and he's been nicking papers out of bins and reading the front page. He's expecting news about You-Know-Who, I suppose, since obviously Ron, Hermione, and Sirius can't tell him a thing in their letters. He must feel like they're letting him down by not telling him anything, but personally, I think they're doing him a favor. I wouldn't want to worry about the Dark Lord all summer vacation…would you?

I managed to get halfway finished with a Charms essay before Mum came upstairs and told Hermione and I that it was lights out. We bade her goodnight and she closed the door, but I could have sworn that she left it open just a little bit, like she used to do when I was younger. It was a comforting thought, and I slept through the night, only waking up once to use the bathroom.

I woke up this morning to the combined screams of Mrs. Black and Mum. I couldn't quite make out what Mum was shouting about from the room. All I could hear was "Filthy creatures of dirt and scum, be gone from this house!" Still in our nightclothes, we crept out onto the landing, only to be greeted by Fred, George, and Ron, who were coming out of their rooms as well, two of them holding Extendable Ears. But we didn't need the Ears this time. We heard everything loud and clear.

There's an Order member, a man named Mundungus Fletcher, who deals in stolen goods. Apparently, he brought a box filled with stolen toads into the house, and one of them hopped out and got loose in the hallway. Mum threw a fit. She says that Mundungus is a criminal and that Dumbledore should throw him out of the Order and onto the street where he belongs.

After we heard that, Sirius came running down the stairs, to try and settle things down. But Mum and Mrs. Black only screamed louder, so the five of us crept down to the kitchen and waited quietly for our breakfast. A few minutes later, when everything was relatively silent, Mum walked into the kitchen, red in the face and panting slightly from all the shouting she did. She made us eggs, toast, and sausages, slammed them onto plates, served them to us, and left the kitchen with a huff. Ron reckons that she was off to owl Dumbledore about Mundungus's loose toad.

It's just before lunch now, and no one's come upstairs to tell us we have to clean something. For once, I'm able to relax, and I've just written an extra-long letter to Michael. I signed it "Love, Ginny", and my hand was shaking so much that I accidentally knocked over my inkbottle and spilled half of it all over the floor. Bless Hermione; she's letting me borrow another one of her bottles. That girl is a little over-prepared, if you ask me. Ron calls it "intelligence." I call it "insanity."

But of course, our dearest Ronnie would never even think of insulting his precious Hermione. I'm counting down the days until the two of them just attack each other and snog. My guess is that once Harry comes, Ron and Hermione will crack under pressure, leading to Snogfest '95 in the closet on the third floor. I've shared my theory with Fred and George, and Fred seems to believe it, but George doesn't. They've bet each other five Galleons, and hopefully, Fred's the one who wins this bet.

I've taped some of the pictures that Colin sent me into this journal. A few of them are of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. The centers are a golden color, and the petals are a mixture of orange and pink, blended perfectly together. I asked Hermione if she knew what they were called, but she was stumped. She suggested that I ask Professor Sprout once term starts again, but I don't think I can wait another month and two weeks.

I've decided to wear my ruby necklace today. Yeah, I know it's a big risk, because then my brothers are going to be asking who it's from, and then they'll find out about Michael, and then I probably won't be able to talk about him without my brothers plotting murder. But if anyone shows a sign of noticing, I'll just wear it inside my T-shirt. Besides, my brothers have to get used to the idea of me dating someone sometime. And sooner or later, that's just what they're going to have to do.

Hmm. That's a rather good note to end on. Hermione's been telling me that I have to take a little break from this journal, but…I think I'm socially attached to this thing. I haven't missed a single day. You know what? I just think she's a bit jealous of this journal. Yeah, it's a bit over-the-top, but I don't really tell Hermione a lot of the stuff that I write down in here.

Oh, dear. She's giving me the Hermione-evil-eye. I better go.

-Ginny

* * *

Another lengthy entry. I hope everyone enjoyed it!

I'm updating rather early this morning, so I only have one reviewer to thank at the moment. If anyone reviews after this is updated, thanks so much!

**Siriusly Pranked**: Thanks so much for reviewing! Yeah, I like Bill, too.

Well, today has been rather eventful for me. The power went out in my neighborhood at midnight, and guess what my first conscious thought was?

"_How am I going to update my next chapter without power!"_

Yes, I am always thinking of you, my dear readers. Even when I'm sitting in pitch-black darkness and my mother is screaming "The power's out! Get the damn flashlight!"

I know that I shouldn't discuss another story in this author's note, but I have to address it. My Oliver Wood/OC story, "Puddlemere Night Stand", will either be published later on tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. If you like this story, then you'll like "Puddlemere". It's humor, romance, and angst all rolled into one! It's only going to be ten chapters, so don't worry…I'll still update here, and neither story will suffer because of the other.

All right. Back to "Hear My Voice"…

How did everyone like this chapter? I tried to fit in some more of Ginny's thoughts, and I think that I did the party about Mrs. Weasley and Ginny talking about nightmares rather well. I know it didn't include a lot about the Order, or cleaning, but I wanted to break away a little bit and try something new. Tell me how I did!

Please review! I live for the review alerts in my inbox!

-Ginny


	22. July 21, 1995

July 21, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Dad decided to take the day off from work. He usually isn't down at breakfast, because he leaves early to get to the Ministry, but this morning, he was sitting at the kitchen table, patiently waiting for Mum to finish with the sausages. I have a hunch about why he decided to stay home. Dad probably wants to talk to me about my nightmares. It's just after lunch now, and he hasn't said a word…yet.

We were assigned fairly easy cleaning tasks this morning. There's some old boxes upstairs in the attic that Sirius has promised to Mundungus, which Mum isn't terribly happy about. Her face was all puckered when she told Hermione, Ron, George, and me to help Sirius bring the boxes down to the living room so Mundungus could pick them up later. She left the room in a huff to go tend to Fred, who woke up this morning telling everyone that he had a sore throat and a fever.

What a bloody liar! He just wants to get out of cleaning, and he probably used those Skiving Snackboxes. Clever, if you ask me, but Hermione seems determined to figure out what Fred is really using to make himself sick.

Kreacher was hovering in the attic again. He took one look at me and called me a "nasty brat of a blood traitor" underneath his breath. That got me angry, because it's bad enough that I get it from people like Draco Malfoy and Mrs. Black, but I wasn't about to let a house elf insult me. Hermione urgently whispered to all of us that we should just let Kreacher alone, but after he called her a Mudblood a few seconds later, Sirius pushed him out of the room and told him to go somewhere else.

Sirius wouldn't tell us what was in the boxes, but they were pretty heavy, not to mention covered in dust. We managed to haul the boxes into the living room in just over an hour, and they're probably still sitting there, in a pile by the door, waiting for Mundungus. I saw Mum shoot the boxes a dirty look when she came to check how we were doing.

From what Bill told me this morning, Mum doesn't approve of Mundungus being in the Order at all, but Dumbledore seems to trust him. "Dung", as everyone in the Order calls him, knows who all the criminals are, "seeing as he's one himself!" Bill seems to think he's useful, and he's told Mum plenty of times, but that just makes her want to cut his hair even more. Mum thinks he's starting to look like Mundungus with his long ponytail! She's stopped asking everyone else if Bill should cut his hair because she already knows the answer: "No, Mum, it's cool!"

Hermione and I saw Tonks coming in through the hallway, and we were going to talk to her for a few minutes, but Mum ushered everyone upstairs. She said there was an important emergency Order meeting about to take place, and that we weren't allowed to listen in. Ha, as if that's anything new!

So, of course, George nipped up to his and Fred's bedroom, and brought back some Extendable Ears. We managed to listen in on about ten minutes of the meeting before the Ears went fuzzy and withdrew from the door. Hermione reckons that Mum's gone and put another charm on the door, so that we can't hear any important information, but I did find out a few vital tidbits.

The Ministry of Magic refuses to believe that You-Know-Who is really back, and they're basically paying the Daily Prophet to report that Dumbledore and Harry are both lying, deceitful fiends.

They've taken away Dumbledore's Order of Merlin, First Class that he earned for finding twelve different uses of dragon's blood, and Kingsley Shacklebolt reported that they're even talking about demoting him from his spot as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, which is the high wizarding court at the Ministry. We were cut short by the charm, however, just when Tonks was about to give her report.

I think that it's just horrible what they're doing to Professor Dumbledore! He's an amazing wizard, and those people at the Ministry probably don't even know half the magic that Dumbledore knows! How can someone go from respected wizard to the status of scum in barely one month?

Hermione's afraid that the school governors are going to take Dumbledore out of Hogwarts, but Ron shushed her, and told her not to say anything about a new Headmaster, because Dumbledore's the only Headmaster we've ever known, and he's doing a "bloody great job", in Ron's words.

Oh, and you don't even know what they're saying about Harry! Mum's forbidden any of us from reading the Prophet anymore, but Hermione still gets subscriptions, and she says that they're trying to make Harry look like someone who's causing trouble just for attention! Now, I may not be right about this, but the last thing Harry wants is attention for the murder of his parents!

Oh, god, I don't even want to think about this anymore.

Well, on a much brighter note, I visited with Fred just after lunch and he told me why he was pretending to be sick. He said that he did use one of his Skiving Snackboxes, but he wouldn't tell me which one. Anyway, Fred's found an entire web of spiders inside of one of his dresser drawers, and he wants to do a little prank on Ron and Hermione later on today. Here's his plan:

First, he wants to get Ron and Hermione alone in a room. Then, he's going to let a few spiders crawl in through the space between the floor and the door. Finally, he and George are going to listen in with the Extendable Ears and see what happens.

Fred asked if I wanted to join him and George.

And guess what I said?

"Sounds like fun!"

Oh, I know it's wrong to do something like that to Hermione, but it's not like she's afraid of spiders or anything. Besides, I really want to get Ron back for making me carry the heaviest box down the stairs.

God, I feel so…so…so…

Prankish.

Is that even a word? Ha, Hermione would probably cringe and go run for a dictionary.

Oh! George just came into my bedroom. He's got Ron and Hermione alone in Ron's bedroom. I'll write later, I promise!

It's Showtime!

Later

Hmmm. I never knew Ron could scream so loud.

Lovely. Mum's calling us all downstairs. George looks like he's about to die of laughter. Wish me luck that I don't get in trouble, but it was all worth it in the end…

Oh, wait. Dad wants to talk to me. I'll have to write tomorrow. Bye!

-Ginny

* * *

Will Ginny get in trouble for pranking Ron and Hermione with Fred and George? What does Mr. Weasley want to talk about with Ginny? The only way to find out is to read the next update!

Cheers to my reviewers:

**Faerex: **This story takes place during the summer before Ginny starts her fourth year at Hogwarts(OotP). Thanks for the review!

**Billycan: **Oh, I hope you can catch up! Thanks for reviewing!

**IamSiriusGrl: **Thanks for the suggestion! Can't wait to read your next review!

**Siriusly Pranked: **Ah, I just love your new pen name! I didn't have Ginny that upset with Hermione because I imagine that Ginny's actually happy that Hermione went to Mrs. Weasley about the nightmares, because now it's all out in the open. Thanks for reviewing!

**Prongsgurl202113: **Oh, you poor thing! I really hope you get your book soon! Thanks so much for the review!

**Ronniekinzluvr: **Aw, thanks so much! Can't wait for your next review!

**Tree Stump: **Thanks so much for the review!

**Rogue200315: **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reviewing!

**Uasoccerbear08: **Yes, I know what happens between Harry and Ginny in book six(sorry if that was a spoiler for those who haven't read HBP), but I'm putting all of that aside for this story. Oh, yes, and "OC" means "Original Character". Look for my story, it'll be up soon!

**Fatalgambler: **Thanks so much for the suggestions. Can't wait for your next review!

Sorry if I missed anyone. I LOVE ALL OF MY REVIEWERS! Okay, I don't love you, but I like you a lot.

How did everyone enjoy this chapter? I've gotten a few people who want to see some Ginny/Fred/George interaction, so there you go, and I hope you liked it! There will be more pranks in the future, but I need some suggestions. I'm prankishly challenged, I guess I could say. Some people also want to see Mr. Weasley talking to Ginny about the nightmares, so I'll put that in the next entry, okay?

I tried to include some Ginny-idolizes-Bill stuff, too.

Please, tell me how you think I did! I'm open to any suggestions, but please, this is my story, and I'll write in the way I want to. Don't be mean!

"Puddlemere Night Stand" will be up on the site in a few hours, for those of my reviewers who are interested in a Funny/Romantic/Angsty Oliver Wood/OC story. Look for it soon!

Review, please and thank you!

-Rox


	23. July 22, 1995

July 22, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Dad talked to me about my nightmares last night, and the entire time I could hear Mum shouting at Fred and George. I don't think they've told her that I helped them out, because if they did, I would have gotten into trouble by now.

So, anyway, back to what Dad said. He told me that he would always fear for the safety of his children, but he has never felt anything like the fear he experienced when Dumbledore told him and Mum that I had been taken down into the Chamber of Secrets. Dad said that he just couldn't imagine his little girl is such danger, and that it was killing him to even think of me in that situation, supposedly dead.

He told me that it's okay to feel afraid sometimes, but to let fear take over your life is something that you just can't do to yourself. "I know your mum probably already told you this, but if you ever feel afraid, and you don't think you can pull through, I will always be right behind you, waiting to catch your fall." Dad said. I don't think I will ever forget those words for as long as I live.

Dad hugged me and kissed my forehead. He called me his "Little Princess", just like he used to do when I was younger. I felt tears welling in my eyes when I told him that I loved him, and that I didn't want to stop being his Little Princess…ever.

Dad hugged me again and we both went downstairs for dinner. Fred and George were already seated, their heads bowed over their empty plates. Tonks came by, and Hermione and I managed to talk to her for a few minutes.

I slept through the night without a single disturbance, which felt good, for a change.

Anyway, I have some important news:

Bill knows about Michael.

Okay, okay, it's not as bad as it seems. Let my explain:

It seems that Michael's owl delivered the letter that was meant for me to Bill's room last night, and he opened it up and read it (I'm pretty upset about that, but that's an entirely different story).

First thing this morning, Bill came to my room and showed me the letter. He pointed to the "Love, Michael" part, and the look on his face just screamed: "Please explain this to me right now." So I got out of bed and followed Bill to his room.

I explained to Bill that I had met Michael at the Yule Ball, and that we had hooked up just before the end of term. Bill just nodded through the entire story, and I half-expected him to come charging at me, demanding to know the exact address of Michael Corner. But he did smile when I showed him the ruby necklace from France, and the picture of Michael standing on the Eiffel Tower.

Bill told me was happy for me, but that I should "be very careful". I breathed a little easier after that, but I still begged Bill not to tell Ron, Fred, or George. Bill asked if Mum and Dad knew, and I told him yes. Bill gave me a hug and together we went downstairs for breakfast.

Sirius was already there, furiously downing a goblet of orange juice. He's fuming about Kreacher again, which really isn't anything new. That house elf is the cause of most of the problems in 12 Grimmauld Place. I asked Sirius what Kreacher had done _thi_stime, and he launched into a rather short story.

Kreacher injured Buckbeak of purpose!

Sirius said that there's something wrong with Buckbeaks's leg. The poor hippogriff couldn't even stand up this morning, he told me! And it's all because of the stupid, mumbling house elf! I don't care if Hermione's trying to promote "elfish welfare"! Once house elves start insulting you and injuring innocent animals, they're not worth trying to free anymore!

After breakfast, Mum angrily sent Fred and George to help Sirius in the attic again, like they did a few days ago. Bill went off to work at Gringotts, so Ron, Hermione, and I were sentenced to cleaning the third floor bathroom.

All right, so the third floor bathroom isn't as disgusting as the one on the first floor, but that damn ghoul scared the crap out of Hermione. She was cleaning the toilet, and the thing just popped out of the water. She fell backwards, but Ron caught her before she hit her head on the edge of the bathtub. They were blushing for the rest of the afternoon.

I'm counting down the days until Ron admits his true feelings to Hermione, or vice versa. They're honestly taking too much time to realize that they like each other! I mean, I never went directly into the open and screamed "I LIKE HARRY POTTER!", and I don't expect Ron or Hermione to do that to each other, but if they wait too long…I'm starting to wonder if it's too late for them to recognize anything.

Anyway, I've taped Michael's latest letter into this journal. I think it's his sweetest letter yet. He said things like "I miss your beautiful brown eyes" and "I can't wait to see your smiling face again". I gushed about it to Hermione when Ron got scared out of the bathroom because a spider tried to crawl up his shirt.

Hermione just rolled her eyes. I think she's just jealous because Ron doesn't send her mushy letters. Well, he doesn't really have to send letters, since we're all in the same house, but still…

Oh, dear. Mum's having a row with someone downstairs. It can't be with Fred and George, though because she's shouting about "stolen cauldrons". Crap, Mrs. Black is screaming too.

I can't concentrate. Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Hey! I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter!

Cheers to my reviewers: **Fatalgambler, Siriusly Pranked, IamSiriusGrl, Ronniekinzluvr, prongsgurl202113, and Rogue200315. **You guys are the best!

I know that this chapter didn't have a lot of Ginny's thoughts in it, but I'm finding that I'm having a serious case of writer's block with this story. So please, bear with me!

**Puddlemere Night Stand, my new OW/OC story, is now UP!**

Please check that out, and review it, too.

How do you think I did with this chapter? Tell me! Should I bring the Draco Malfoy pics back into the plot?

Review!

Thanks!

-Rox


	24. July 23, 1995

July 23, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

My hand hurts so much right now. No, it isn't my right hand, because then I wouldn't have been able to write in the journal, now would I? It's obviously my left hand, in case you haven't figured it out yet. It's sore and swelling, not to mention the skin on my hand has turned a nice, deep shade of purple.

And it's all because of a doorknob, and not any ordinary doorknob either, because that would have been too easy for whoever built this house. Oh no, it was a biting doorknob.

Mum sent me to the fourth floor this morning to fetch some Magical Mess Remover from the closet at the end of the hall. I very rarely go onto the fourth floor, so I got lost, since there are like, three doors at the end of the hall. I closed my left hand over the metal doorknob(which was shaped like a serpent, by the way), felt something dig into my skin, promptly screamed, and withdrew my hand from the doorknob.

There was a set if teeth embedded into my hand. Of course, I ran downstairs screamed bloody murder, not really caring if Mrs. Black started shouting or not. I heard Kreacher laughing somewhere, muttering "Mudbloods and blood traitors cannot go into that room!".

Mum threw a fit, knocking everything over in the kitchen as she tried to find something suitable to "fix" my hand. Professor Lupin stood up from the table, took my hand in his, and tapped it with the tip of his wand.

The teeth popped out of my skin and fell to the floor with a clatter. That's when the skin turned purple, and my hand went suddenly numb. Sirius left the room so he could go investigate the doorknob.

Mum wrapped my hand in linen cloth and sent me upstairs to my room, where I've been ever since, to "rest". I honestly feel like crying right now, partially because my hand is throbbing, and because I hate this whole bloody house!

I'm just sick of it. I think you know what I'm talking about. There's the screaming portraits, the house elf that insults everything that moves, the scary ghoul that pops out of the toilet while you're in the shower, the mold that always comes back no matter how hard you scrub it, the creepy objects that give you serious bites if you're a "Mudblood" or "blood traitor"…I can go on like this all day if I wanted to!

And I haven't seen any other place for nearly a month. Do you know how frustrating that is? Mum won't even let any of us go grocery shopping with her at Diagon Alley! My body is just itching to fly off into the sky on a broomstick, but of course, I don't really have a broomstick of my own, but that's a whole other story…

I can only imagine how bad Sirius must feel. He hates this entire house, and he couldn't even get out if he wanted to, since the Ministry has a ten-thousand Galleon capture price on his head at the moment. He must feel so alone, so trapped, so abandoned…I know I've felt that way before, with the Chamber of Secrets thing and all…

I'm finding it easier and easier to mention the Chamber of Secrets ever since my talks with Mum and Dad. Hermione's probably waiting for me to thank her for going to Mum about my nightmares in the first place. So, Hermione, if you ever get a chance to read this(which I doubt you will, but maybe I'll let you nip a peek at this page), thanks. Seriously. For being my best friend. For helping me with my homework. For everything.

Ha. One of the Draco Malfoy pictures just fell out of my journal. I tucked the funniest one into the back of this book so that whenever I get to the point where I'm bored to death, I can just whip it out and laugh my head off. It's a picture of Malfoy sitting on a green rug, wrapped in a Slytherin blanket, sucking his thumb, and whispering, "Mama! Mama!" over and over again.

Ha. It never gets old…

And now I'm bored.

…

You know what?

I miss Michael.

Well, DUH, I miss Michael! He's my boyfriend, and I haven't seen him since the end of term, except in that beautiful picture of him standing on the Eiffel Tower. Oh my god. What if he meets another girl over the summer, and dumps me for her? Oh my god! What if I start liking Harry again, and then I dump Michael for Harry? Oh my god. What if…

I can't shut up.

Oh. Mum's calling me down for lunch. Maybe if I'm lucky, I won't have to do any cleaning today.

Bye!

-Ginny

* * *

Ah…another chapter done. Sorry for the late update! I've been at the beach since nine this morning, I didn't get back until an hour ago, then I had to take a shower to get all the sand out of my hair. Anyway:

Cheers to my reviewers: **Morei Sky, Uasoccerbear08, Siriusly Pranked, Jazipan, prongsgurl202113, fatalgambler, and Ronniekinzluvr.** You guys are the best! Keep reviewing, please!

I'm happy to say that I have somewhat gotten over my bout of writer's block. I've been trying to discover the root of the problem, because one day, I was really getting into writing my chapters, and then the next, I sat at the computer, staring at a blank document, for fifteen minutes, unable to type anything.

And I think I've gotten to the bottom of it.

I have WAY too many suggestions from my reviewers. Now, don't get me wrong, I truly _love_ hearing ideas from you, but I'm getting way too many, from different directions, and it's creating this "brick wall" that I can't seem to jump over just yet.

I'm not trying to be rude, but some of the reviews that I've been getting…oy! It sounds like some of you guys are trying to run my story the way you want it to go! I'm sorry if I offend anyone…I honestly love reading everyone's reviews, but it's either stop trying to overrule my plotline…or seriously risk me having to abandon this story and go on hiatus for a month or two.

You make the decision. I understand that I may lose a few reviewers who think I am being rude and selfish…but seriously, I'm not trying to be any of that at all! I'm saying this for the sake of me, my reviewers, and this story, which is really what it's all about.

:Deep breath: Okay, the serious part is over with!

How do you think I did with this chapter? I've been dying to focus an entry just on Ginny's thoughts and feelings, and I hope everyone enjoyed what I did with this chapter. Don't be afraid to tell me if there was anything wrong with it, but please, read the above statement before submitting a review.

For those of you who have been reading my OW/OC story, "Puddlemere Night Stand", the second chapter will be up and available tomorrow afternoon. I'm just very tired from my trip to the beach, and my supposed best friend has ditched me for the summer, so please, be patient.

Again, if anyone wants to chat, IM me at: BaBi bLu 762.

Please review!

-Rox


	25. July 24, 1995

July 24, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

My left hand has a purple tinge to it, and there's a black bruise on my palm, but it doesn't hurt as much anymore. Mum is still making me wear the linen cloth over it, even thought it itches like crazy, and it's driving me up the wall.

I did get out of cleaning yesterday, but Mum sent me to work first thing this morning, just after breakfast. She says that the drapes in mine and Hermione's room are "filthy", so both Hermione and I spent a good two hours trying to knock all of the dust out of them. Mum came in after lunch and cleaned off the dust that had fallen into the carpet.

Something very odd happened today.

I "bonded" with Ron.

I don't even know if "bonded" is the right word, but I'm at loss for a better one at the moment. I owe it all to Hermione, who locked herself in our room after lunch to read the rest of her Arithmancy book before dinner. Therefore, I was forced to find another method of wasting time.

Fred and George couldn't be bothered, because they were busy testing Puking Pastilles, and I didn't really want to be puked on by one of the twins. Bill was at Gringotts, Sirius was up in Buckbeak's room again, and Mum and Dad were in the kitchen, speaking with Mrs. Figg and Dumbledore again. So, the only person who was left was…you guessed it, Ron.

I challenged him to a game of Exploding Snap, and he accepted eagerly. I won three out of the four games we played, and I only lost the last one because Pigwidgeon distracted me by landing on my head and pulling out several strands of my hair with his beak. Ouch.

I played chess with Ron afterwards, and, not surprisingly, he won both games that we played. I was very close to winning the first one, but then Ron's queen beat up my last knight, so I wasn't happy about losing that game. Besides, I've been waiting practically my entire life to beat Ron at a game of chess, just to wipe that superior smirk off of his face every time someone brings out a chessboard.

Then Ron mentioned something that I was sure he had no idea about: my nightmares. Apparently, our lovely Miss Granger told not only Mum, but Ron as well, that I have been having recurring nightmares about Riddle. I remember this icy feeling flooding my stomach when Ron asked me timidly if they scared me. I told them that they did, and terribly so.

"Well, I just wanted you to know that if you ever have another one, I'm here, too." Ron told me when Mum called us all down to dinner. I'm sure Mum and Dad would have been in tears to hear him say that.

It makes me want to tell Ron about Michael. Oh, sure, I know that Ron will probably beat Michael into little bits and pieces once term starts up, but he's close to me, and somehow, I think he deserves to know.

Yet, at the same time, I dread the day I will have to tell Ron that I have a boyfriend. God, I am so confused!

Anyway, Ron still thinks that I like Harry, as do the rest of my brothers. Hermione's been telling me that she's proud of the fact that I've moved on from my "silly schoolgirl crush" on Harry, and that I'm finally getting ready to "live my life the way it should be".

But she doesn't understand. Harry wasn't just a schoolgirl crush. I loved him and---

No. I did not love Harry Potter, nor will I ever. I think.

No, no, no! I love Michael. I love Michael Thomas Corner!

Oh yeah, and just for the record, Michael told me what his middle name is. I'm not a stalker or anything, so you can forget all of those crazy thoughts and suspicions.

Okay, I'm going to stop blabbing about Michael now…

Fred overheard on the Extendable Ears that Harry is getting "more and more restless by the day", according to Mrs. Figg, who stopped by to give her report to Dumbledore. Dad seems to think that it's dangerous for Harry to be staying with the Muggles.

Everyone is treating Harry like a ticking time bomb. We've overheard several Order members saying things like, "If we don't get Harry out of there soon, he might do something drastic, and we don't want Harry Potter running around the country by himself." The boy can take care of himself perfectly fine, as he has proved over and over again!

Oh my god. You know what I just realized?

Harry's birthday is in seven days. That's just a week away! Should I send him a birthday card? No, or maybe I shouldn't acknowledge his birthday at all. Or maybe…

Ah well. I'll figure it out in the morning.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Okay, I'm on a time limit here, so I'll make this note short and snappy. So sorry for the short chapter…I just don't have the time!

Cheers to all of my reviewers, no time to list everyone, and I thank everyone who has showed their sympathy for my writer's block. I'm slowly starting to climb that "wall". Keep reviewing!

How do you like this chapter? I tried to mix everything in, and I've included the "Ron bonding" stuff just for a bit of fun. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter!

Update on "Puddlemere Night Stand": The next chapter will be posted tomorrow, July 25, 2005. So sorry for the long wait!

Please review!

-Rox


	26. July 25, 1995

July 25, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Hermione told me this morning that she and Ron have asked Professor Lupin if he can go to Hogsmeade and get some candy from Honeyduke's for Harry's birthday present. When she went downstairs with Ron to give Professor Lupin the money, I had the strongest urge to chip in a few of my own Knuts, but I stopped myself.

Mum has finally decided that we've done enough cleaning for a while. It's about time! After the summer is over, I probably won't see this house again. I'll be spending Christmas at the Burrow, I suppose, and things will get back to normal…I hope.

I am utterly bored now that I don't have cleaning to look forward to everyday. Hermione, Ron, and I went to visit Buckbeak after breakfast, but he was sound asleep in the corner of Sirius's mum's bedroom, and Sirius advised that we don't disturb him for a while.

There's an Order meeting going on downstairs as I speak, and Fred and George are probably hovering over the staircase, trying to overhear something decent. I'm getting rather bored of all of the Order meetings because all they ever talk about is Harry, the Ministry, and "guard duty". I know the entire story like the back of my hand.

You'd think that living in headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix would be much more exciting than sitting around all day, cleaning an old house and listening to an insane house elf insult you underneath his breath.

Speaking of Kreacher, I forgot to lock the door to my bedroom last night, and Kreacher wandered in at three in the morning again. Hermione managed to sleep through it, but I was scared so much I thought I might jump out of my skin. I don't even think Kreacher realized I was in there. He just kept muttering about the Dark Lord until I gave him a gentle nudge and closed the door tightly behind his wrinkled self.

I won't dare tell Hermione. She'll probably tell me that I should have invited him in for an early tea or some rubbish story like that. She's been trying to get me to wear a S.P.E.W. badge around the house, but I outright refuse to support something as old, rude, and ugly as Kreacher the elf.

There's really nothing to write about in this journal anymore, since the cleaning's near done and nothing really exciting has happened with the Order, and I really don't want to fill this entire book up with my mushy thoughts about Michael. I can just hear Hermione's voice in my head:

"Don't you dare stop writing, Ginny! I can tell you're enjoying having that journal! Don't give up just because you can't think of anything to say!"

That's Hermione Granger for you.

Sometimes I wonder why Ron likes her so much. Did I say likes? I meant loves. It's actually quite sickening to watch those two blush whenever one meets the other's eyes. Tell me, what would you do if you were in my situation, stuck in the middle of two lovesick teenagers? Would you bind them together with a rope and force them to confess their true love, followed by a three-hour long snogfest in a closet?

Then you're thinking exactly what I'm thinking. Maybe I'll enlist the help of Fred and George to carry out my "bind them with a rope" plan. I wonder if they've gotten any new inventions, besides the Skiving Snackboxes? Hmm…

Speaking of the Skiving Snackboxes, George told me after breakfast that he and Fred were going to test their Fainting Fancies, and not to be alarmed if I heard thudding noises coming from their bedroom. Those two are fainting left and right in there! I guess that means the Fancies are working just fine.

…

You know what?

I love Michael.

Yeah, yeah, you've seen me say that plenty of time before, but it has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?

Ginny loves Michael.

It just sort of…rolls of the tongue, right?

Michael loves Ginny.

Hmmm…

Michael and Ginny Corner. Ginny Corner. Ginevra Molly Corner. Ginny Weasley-Corner. Ginevra Molly Weasley-Corner. Mrs. Michael Corner…

Okay, okay. I'm thinking a little too far ahead into the future. But this is exactly what I would do when I used to like Harry. I can't tell you how many sheets of parchment I wasted just writing, "Ginevra Molly Potter" over and over again. Fred and George had a field day when they found those sheets in my rubbish bin. But, however, that's a whole other story that I'm not about to get into…

I wonder if Hermione has ever wasted parchment writing "Hermione Jane Weasley" all over the place. Probably not. She seems too sensible to get that deep into the feeling. Ha. I wonder if Ron has ever written "Mr. Hermione Granger" on sheets of parchment. Note to Self: raid Ron's rubbish bin for sheets of parchment.

Oh, dear. It seems Ron has found another spider in his bedroom. Honestly, that boy screams like a girl. Hermione's rushed out into the hallway to see what's wrong. Fred and George are running past with the Extendable Ears. Mrs. Black is screeching because the Order members are flooding out of the kitchen.

Oh my. Maybe I should go check thinks out.

But I won't.

I'm just hoping for something really exciting to happen around here. I've been cooped up in this house for far too long, just waiting for something for far too many days. Maybe something really big will happen involving You-Know-Who. Maybe Ron and Hermione will get together before term starts.

Maybe I'll get to see Michael again before the end of the summer.

You never know what can happen. That's what Mum always says. I'm just hoping that something big will happen when I least expect it. That's when it's the most exciting.

Goodnight! I'm off to see about Ron and that spider.

-Ginny

* * *

Oh dear. Was that chapter too short? I've been having a very busy day. So sorry!

Cheers to my reviewers, and again, I can't list names because my Hotmail account is screwed up again. Also, updates for "Puddlemere Night Stand" have been suspended until tomorrow. So sorry about that! I just can't find the time to write the next chapter. Between doctor's visits, phone calls, this story, and everything else, I just can't find the time. Tomorrow, however, I promise a new chapter!

How did you like this entry? I tried to include everything this time, from Order stuff right down to the Ron/Hermione goodness. Please tell me how I did!

Review!

-Rox


	27. July 26, 1995

July 26, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Oh my god. I'm going to be expelled from Hogwarts!

Okay, well maybe not that, but I am SO going to be assigned to dinner duty for like, a week. Or maybe a month. Or maybe…

Forever…

But I musn't get ahead of myself.

Back to the getting expelled from Hogwarts part…

I performed illegal underage magic! Yes, I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, age thirteen, have performed magic outside of school! Let me start from the beginning.

It was just after breakfast, and I was dead tired because Mum asked me to help cook for some of the Order members who had stayed overnight in the house. I was just sitting innocently in my room, with my wand on my beside table, trying to finish a Divination essay before lunch.

I would never have guessed that I would be in HUGE trouble in less than fifteen minutes.

Fred and George were causing a racket out in the hallway. It seems that they were trying to get Ron to test some of their Skiving Snackboxes, because Mum's getting suspicious about their "wounds", and Hermione was trying to convince Ron that they were dangerous to his health. Ha. Typical.

But, this morning, everything seemed to be getting on my nerves, mostly because I had written a letter to Michael, and I was anxious waiting for a reply. When Hermione and George started having a row right outside of my door, I seized my wand and stepped out into the hallway, feeling rather livid.

I started shouting about how all I wanted was some peace and quiet to write my essay and wait for a letter (I almost blurted out the word "Michael" but I kept that to myself, thank God). Then Fred told me that it wasn't just my house, and that they could make as much noise as they wanted. I was surprised that Mrs. Black hadn't started screaming yet, or than Mum hadn't come running to see what was going on.

Well, I told Fred that they were just making too much noise, and George jumped in and called me a "Miss Priss". Hermione looked midly offended, but I don't really remember that part.

Anyway, the next thing I knew, I had my wand pointed at George. I shouted _"Batabogious!"_, which is the Bat-Bogey Hex, and these little bats flew out of George's nose and started wildly attacking him. I didn't even realize that I had done magic until Mum came running upstairs and saw me with my wand out.

All of a sudden, I got really nervous, and I felt like I was going to cry at any second when Mum told me to go into my room. I thought that the Ministry was going to jump through the windows and demand that I hand over my wand. Hermione sent me a glance as I slammed the door.

Mum set George's nose right in about ten minutes, and he, Fred, and Ron have steered clear of my room ever since then. Hermione came in later on and started reading one of her textbooks without a single word to me. She did have a superior look on her face, though, and she probably felt good about herself because she hasn't performed illegal underage magic.

Hermione left about an hour ago, and even though she didn't say anything, I have a hunch that she's gone to visit Ron again. Mum still hasn't come into my room, so for all I know, she's sitting downstairs in the kitchen, reading a letter from the Ministry about how they're going to snap her only daughter's wand in half…

I don't even know why I did that hex on George! I mean, I've gotten angry at my brothers plenty of times, but I've never actually used magic on them. Yeah, I've used a few well-aimed kicks on them, but never magic. I feel like I have sunken to the lowest level of Wizard kind…even lower on the status scale than Percy, and that's pretty low to begin with…

I know that I shouldn't blame it on anybody but myself, but I think I performed underage magic because I've been cooped up in this house for far too long. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm just sick of this entire place. The portraits, the pests, the house elf, the mold…everything. I just want to be back in my own safe bed at the Burrow, where my only worries were about Harry, and not about whether or not I was going to use my wand on one of my brothers the next time I got upset with them.

God, if only things were that simple. I'd do anything to go back to that. Well, maybe except for the entire "obsessing over Harry Potter" fiasco. I must admit, that part was very immature. Besides, I've got Michael to worry about now.

What if I do get to keep my wand, just this once, but then I use magic again, and the Ministry takes away my second chance and snaps my wand in half, just like those scary Ministry stories Dad's always telling during thunderstorms. What if I have to go to a trial before the Wizengamot, and they find me guilty, and then they drag me off to Azkaban to be handed over to the Dementers?

I guess I better go ask Sirius how life is in Azkaban, then…

Oh my god. What am I saying? I'm just so confused right now. In fact, I'm so confused that I can barely concentrate on this entry. Where is Michael's letter? Why hasn't Mum or Dad come up here to talk to me about not performing illegal underage magic? Why is this world so bloody confusing?

Okay. Now I'm starting to sound like those "I hate the world" girls I read about in one of the articles in the latest edition of Witch Weekly. That's going a little too far.

Oh my god. Mum's just come upstairs. She has a letter from Michael for me. She also wants to talk about what happened today with George.

Wish me luck.

Goodnight!

-Ginny

* * *

Ah, another chapter completed.

Cheers to my reviewers: **Dream Phantom, Jazipan, prongsgurl202113, Slytherin Girl Gryffindor Girl, IamSiriusGrl, dreamweaves, Harry's Kat, steele-2006-294, Siriusly Pranked, Morei Sky, biya,and kittyatza.** Thanks so much! I have over 200 reviews! Keep em coming ;)

I am SO sorry, but the Puddlemere update is going to have to wait for tomorrow. I don't have access to my files at the moment. I'm typing this at a library computer. It'll be up first thing tomorrow morning, though!

How did you like this chapter? I remember reading about George saying something about Ginny and Bat-Bogey Hexes, so I decided to throw in that little bit.

Tell me how I did, and please review!

-Rox


	28. July 27, 1995

July 27, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, I was right about my punishment for performing illegal underage magic…Mum has assigned me to dinner duty for a week. Hey, I'll take dinner duty for a month if it means I don't have to have my wand snapped in half by the Ministry. I was pretty scared last night when Mum came into my room. I must admit that.

Anyway, I finally got a letter from Michael last night. He's returned home to England from Paris, and he wants to know when I'll be going to Diagon Alley so that we could see each other again before school starts. I still have to run this idea by Mum and Dad, and Ron, Fred, and George are bound to find out that Michael and I are dating if they see us together in Diagon Alley.

He signed his letter "Love from, Michael" and I squealed so loudly that Ron opened the bedroom door and asked what was wrong. I covered it up by saying there was a spider on the ceiling, and he was gone from the doorway before you could say "arachnid". What does Hermione see in him?

Speaking of Hermione, she's been giving me the cold shoulder since breakfast! I don't even know why. It's probably because of the hex I performed yesterday on George, but what in the bloody world does that have to do with Hermione? She didn't even come to the bedroom to get her textbook: she had Ron fetch it for her. I haven't seen her all day, and it's starting to worry me.

Mum made me apologize to George this morning, first thing after breakfast. I trekked upstairs to his and Fred's bedroom and told him that I acted on impulse and that it would never happen again, and that I was truly sorry for what I had done (which, believe it or not, is the factual truth). George hugged me and said, "That hex was the best bloody piece of magic I've seen in a while!" I spent an hour testing out their new products, like those Fainting Fancies. Fred said I was out cold for nearly ten minutes before he decided to pop the antidote pill into my mouth. They're not that bad actually…I'm considering buying a few of the Skiving Snackboxes once term starts up, no matter how dangerous Hermione says they are. If we're talking by then, that is…

Tonks stopped by for lunch, which, of course, Hermione did not attend. She said she had a headache and Mum brought her some food after we were all finished eating. Anyway, Tonks and I talked for a while, and after my brothers left, I told her all about Michael. I showed her that Eiffel Tower picture of him, too, and she said he was "a right sodding bloke".

I asked Tonks if she liked anyone, and she turned as pink as her spiky hair! She wouldn't tell me who it was, but I have a hunch that it's someone in the Order. But who could it be? At first, I thought it was Bill, but Tonks knows perfectly well that Bill and Fleur are going together…but maybe Tonks likes Bill in spite of the fact that he's already taken? Hmmm. That's something I need to investigate in the near future.

Tonks had to leave for an all-night Auror mission at the Ministry, so I didn't get a chance to ask her for advice on Hermione. Bill came home early for work because he has an English lesson with Fleur, so after lunch, I passed by the bedroom and went straight for Bill's room. After I helped him pick out a shirt for his lesson, he sat down on the bed, and I explained everything to him.

Bill listened intently, and afterwards, he said that maybe Hermione is nervous that I'll use underage magic on her. But I told Bill that Hermione knows perfectly well I would never hex her. He just shrugged and said that he couldn't think of any other reasons. Bill suggested that perhaps Hermione was jealous of the thing I have going with Michael, but Hermione would never stoop to that level of jealousy…or maybe she would? Oh, I have no idea anymore! I just want her to start bloody talking to me again!

Okay. Glad I got that out in the open.

Harry's birthday is in four days, and I still can't figure out if I should get him a present or not. I guess it would be a friendly thing to do, but Harry and I aren't exactly friends. What was that word that Hermione used once?

Acquaintances.

Yes, that's it. Harry and I are merely acquaintances. I barely even talk to him! Besides, what if I get him a present, and then he thinks that I still like him? And then what if Michael finds out that I got Harry a present, and Michael gets jealous? What if Michael gets so jealous that he breaks up with me and starts going out with someone from his own house? What if…?

What am I saying? It's only a bloody birthday present! I doubt Harry would get me a birthday present. He probably doesn't even know when my birthday is! So why am I worried so much about getting Harry Potter a birthday present?

Yeah, why am I worried so much? Hmmm.

I should be more worried about getting Michael a present. His birthday is August 27, just sixteen days after mine! I'll ask him what he really wants for his birthday…but shouldn't I already know? I mean, he is my boyfriend, after all. He knew that I liked necklaces, so why don't I know what Michael wants for his birthday. Why…?

Here I go again. Blabbing away. Not to mention wasting precious ink. I doubt Hermione will let me borrow another one of her extra bottles, and I know that Ron, Fred, and George don't keep any spares. Maybe I can ask Tonks to bring in some inkbottles from her Auror office. Yes, that's exactly what I'll do.

Gah! Mum's calling me. Dinner duty arrives!

Good night!

-Ginny

Another long entry! At least I think so. My Word Processor has gone nutty, so I really don't have any clue anymore.

Cheers to my reviewers: **Harry's Kat, hillela, wannabeweasley, fatalgambler, Ronniekinzluvr, Siriusly Pranked, IamSiriusGirl, prongsgurl202113, dreamweaves,Jazipanand kittyatza(are you really trying to review EVERY SINGLE chapter!).** I think I have about 230 reviews, and it's all because of you guys! Keep on reviewing, and I'll keep updating.

Also, Chapter Two of "Puddlemere Night Stand" has been added, finally! Please go over to my profile page and check that story out! Don't forget to review "Puddlemere"! It took me a long time to write that second chapter.

Anyway, back to "Hear My Voice" matters.

Every great friendship has some flaws in it, and that's why I have Hermione giving Ginny the "cold shoulder". I already have the reason behind it, and it will be explained before Harry's birthday, I assure you. I'm sticking to canon OOTP facts, so they won't be mad at each other forever!

I fit in some Ginny-Tonks and Ginny-Bill bonding in this chapter, too. I have a feeling that Ginny developed strong relationships with her favorite Metamorphagus and her eldest brother, so I'll throw in a few of those moments over the next month.

: Breaking News:

I WILL (and that's a definite WILL) be going on vacation to Seaside Heights, New Jersey on **August 24, 25, and 26.** The hotel does have Internet access, but my mother's laptop won't always be available for updates, so I'll be putting up three chapters at once in the last week of August, so none of the entries will be missed.

How do you think I did with this chapter? Please, tell me!

I have to go. My sister's friend is sleeping over, and they want to use my computer.

Review, please and thank you!

-Rox


	29. July 28, 1995

July 28, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Tonks stopped by for dinner last night, and she's promised me a few inkbottles, since Hermione still isn't showing any signs of letting me borrow anything from her. She's started talking to me again, but the conversations are very strained and polite, and not at all like Hermione. I asked Ron what was wrong with her, but he said it was "confidential". I'm his sister!

Ah, the crazy things my brother does for love…

Since Ron and Hermione are usually off by themselves, I've found companions in Fred and George. Who would have thought? I remember Percy saying that I needed "decent role models" in my life, and that he was one of them. Ha! But that was back when I was…what…nine or ten years old? Percy doesn't care a bit about me know, and I don't care about him.

I've decided against testing the Skiving Snackboxes for the twins. I'm not siding with Hermione or anything, but I'm going to wait until they are one hundred percent safe to use, rather than be Fred and George's guinea pig. It seems that Mum is bound to find out about the entire business sooner or later, and I'd rather not be caught in the middle of the fight.

It's been rather boring around the house ever since Mum decided that most of the house has been cleaned to her liking. The house doesn't even belong to her, it's Sirius's, but he lets her act like 12 Grimmauld Place is her summer home. I think he really likes having someone else controlling the house. He shows every sign of wanting to burn the entire thing down, and he probably would, if he hadn't given it to Dumbledore to use as headquarters.

Michael and I have been writing each other every day, and that keeps me busy for most of the morning. But once the afternoon comes, I'm just sort of…floating around. I've finished all of my holiday homework, and now I think I should have left it for later. At least I would have something to do, other than let my thoughts drift, and that usually ends up making me worry about things that really aren't worry-worthy, like buying a present for Harry.

I have finally come to a decision about the birthday present manner.

I will not be buying anything for Harry. I will simply wish him a happy birthday when he comes to stay (whenever that happens). Then maybe he'll realize that I don't like him anymore. I can't just walk up to him and say "Hi, Harry, I've decided that I'm not in love with you anymore. Bye! Oh yeah, and Happy Birthday!" That sounds like something a girl like Pansy Parkinson would do, and I am not sinking to her level of flirtation and stupidity.

Wow. That statement sounded rather intelligent. I should tell it to Hermione sometime, and then maybe she'll start treating me like her friend again, instead of some talking stick on the side of the road. She's got to come back sometime. I'm her only real "girl" friend at Hogwarts, and that will be the day when Hermione Granger discusses her innermost feelings with Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter. That will be the day.

Anyway, there was an Order meeting this afternoon, and, as usual, Fred and George tried to listen in, but there's another charm on the door. Besides, we already know the basic outline of what they talk about all the time. But, George did overhear Tonks and Professor Lupin whispering worriedly about Harry. Both of them think that Harry is on the brink of doing anything to get out of Privet Drive, based on Mrs. Figg's reports and Sirius's letters from Harry. He must be getting restless, with practically everyone telling him to "lay low" and "keep his nose clean".

You know what? I wonder what Michael thinks of Harry.

No, no, I'm not going to compare the two of them or anything like that, but I honestly wonder if Michael believes that You-Know-Who is back. He probably doesn't, just like seventy-five percent of the population of the wizarding world. Perhaps I could persuade him…but wouldn't that be taking advantage of our relationship? But it wouldn't hurt to ask…maybe I'll ask him when I write him again tomorrow. I can't tell you how much ink I've used up, just on my letters to Michael! And I don't want to run out of ink to use on this journal…

All right. Enough about ink.

I don't think I've had a nightmare about Riddle in over a week, or maybe even longer than that. It feels good not to have the Chamber of Secrets haunting my every waking moment. I mean, it's not like I don't think about it, because I do, but I don't get as scared as I used to, and I certainly don't allow it to get me down. But like Mum and Dad said…it's okay to get scared sometimes. It's part of human nature, and, as a human, I'm going to accept it.

Whoa, that's another highly intelligent statement. I'm on a roll!

But don't get me wrong. I was serious about that sentence.

Oh my. A loud explosion just came from Fred and George's room. Or at least I think it was their room. It could have been Ron's, or Bill's. Nope. I'm pretty sure it was the twins. Maybe something went wrong with the Skiving Snackboxes. Hmmm.

I can hear Hermione and Bill talking loudly in the hall about Prefects. I can just tell that Hermione's expecting a Gryffindor badge to be with her Hogwarts letter. I can hear it in her voice. She sounds confident and assured. I wonder who the other Prefect is going to be, because Hermione is most definitely going to be one. Personally, I think Dumbledore chose Harry as the other Gryffindor prefect, but I could be wrong.

And now I'm extremely bored.

I pity Sirius. He has to live like this all the time. I think I'll go visit him and Buckbeak.

Wish me luck with dinner duty.

-Ginny

* * *

Another day gone by…

Cheers to my reviewers. Sorry, I don't have a list of people to thank. I am seriously thinking about deleting my Hotmail account, because it always seems to be going crazy and getting rid of all my unread e-mails.

But anyway, I'm nearing 300 reviews on this story, and honestly, I didn't even expect to reach 100! And to think that the idea for this story came to me when I was talking on the phone about Harry Potter to my friend, Jen. I think we were discussing the Chamber of Secrets and the Order of the Phoenix, and it just hit me. So thanks, Jen, for being the inspiration!

How do you think I did with this chapter? Yes, Hermione is still ignoring Ginny, but the next entry will be chock-full of Ginny-Hermione bonding, I promise. And maybe I'll throw in some Ginny-Sirius and Ginny-Tonks moments in there, too, just for fun.

Please, review! It means the world to me to know that so many people are enjoying my story. Thanks so much!

-Rox


	30. July 29, 1995

July 29, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I have some very good news: Hermione and I are friends again! It's actually quite an interesting story, so I'll start telling it from the beginning.

This morning, Hermione sped out of the bedroom before I got a chance to talk to her. All through breakfast, she refused to meet my eyes. As you can imagine, I finally got fed up with her. I cornered her in our bedroom before she could go to visit Ron again.

I asked her why she was ignoring me, and at first, she tried to act like she didn't know what I was talking about. One look from me, and she sighed. She sat down on her bed and started to explain everything.

Hermione was jealous of my relationship with Michael. She wants someone to like her the way that Michael loves me. She thought that I had forgotten about her, because of all the letters I've been writing to my boyfriend, and she didn't want to say anything to me, because she thought I might blow up in her face or something.

Trust me, that's the last thing I would do. And I told her exactly that.

We spent the rest of the morning and a few hours of the afternoon together, just laughing and visiting with Tonks. She's staying at 12 Grimmauld Place for a few days, because she has some big mission for the Ministry.

We've all been talking about Bill, and his little "fling" with Fleur. Hermione bets they won't last longer than two months. I've never met Fleur in person, so I don't know what she's like. Then, Tonks turned herself into a Veela girl and pranced around the room for a while. Hermione said that's exactly what Fleur is like.

Bill seems to like her…but that's probably only because of her Veela blood.

After lunch, I decided to go and talk to Buckbeak, and guess who I found there!

Sirius!

Well, I found Buckbeak there, too, but Sirius was with him. He let me help him feed the hippogriff some dead mice. It was a little gross at first, but Buckbeak just loves them. He's the sweetest hippogriff I've ever met…but then again, I haven't met many, but still.

After that, I was just about to leave, but Sirius stopped me. He said he wanted to talk to me for a few minutes, so I sat on the floor, and we talked.

You thought I would just leave you hanging. Ha!

Sirius told me that he's heard a lot about me from Ron and Hermione. He asked me about my crush on Harry. I must admit, I blushed a little at the sound of his name, but I'm starting to get over it.

I told Sirius that a did have a crush on Harry, but that I didn't like him anymore, and that I already had a boyfriend, a Ravenclaw named Michael Corner. Sirius looked like he didn't believe me, but I told him that everything I had said was true, that I was totally over Harry.

He asked me if Harry ever gave me any attention back when I used to like him. I told him no, other than the occasional "Good morning" at the Burrow. I said that we didn't write letters to each other, and didn't give each other birthday presents. Sirius asked me if I considered me and Harry to be friends.

And quite honestly, I didn't know how to answer his question.

I stuttered for a few seconds before Sirius put up his hand and told me that he understood what I was trying to tell him, that I wasn't sure if Harry and I were friends. I told him that we were merely "acquaintances", and he laughed and told me that Hermione uses that word often.

I didn't want to leave the room so quickly, so I confided in Sirius the one thing I haven't told anyone: my despair at having to stay locked up in a house for the entire holiday. I felt rather stupid telling all of this to an escaped convict who is probably going to be living here for a few more months, but he was patient while I was speaking.

Sirius said he was glad that someone else shared his hate at not being able to leave the house, but he kindly pointed out that I would be leaving on September 1, and that I probably won't see this house again after that. He had disappointment in his voice, which told me that Sirius would be lonely without the house filled with people all the time. I joked with him for a while, saying that I would remember to visit "Old Uncle Sirius" in his retirement from the "escaped convict life". He smiled and laughed.

Mum called me down for dinner duty after that, and Sirius told me that I had better "cook him a good meal". I stuck my tongue out at him, and he did the same to me. I waved goodbye and trudged down the stairs to the kitchen.

Dinner was simply fantastic. It seemed that all of the Order members were there, and for once, no one was sulking or bearing bad news. There was plenty of shouting and laughter, mostly coming from Sirius. I noticed a twinkle in his eyes that hadn't been there when I had first seen him on my fourth night here. Hermione and I played our usual game of daring Tonks to morph into different people.

And, not to mention, I saw Ron staring at Hermione when she laughed and turned her sparkling eyes upon him. Ah, my brother is such a lovesick little puppy!

I'm all tired out, and my face hurts from smiling so much. This has been one of the best days of the summer.

Here's to today, and many more days like it!

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Hermione and Ginny are friends again! And Ginny actually had a good day, that didn't involve running out of ink! Hooray!

Cheers to my reviewers, sorry, I don't have an actual list of people to thank.

Damn you, Hotmail!

I love all of my reviewers! I've been going through some serious rough times with my family, and it's these reviews that really keep me going.

**Puddlemere News: The 3rd chapter will be posted no later than Sunday, July 31, 2005.**

Oh, god. I am so tired right now. My dad lost his job a few months ago, and I've been scourging my room for things I can sell so that my family can get some money to send me to high school in 2006. My mom isn't taking it too well, either, and it seems that people are always screaming and crying in my house.

Oh my god...I just bought this awesomem song on my iPod. It's called "Iris" and it's by the Goo-Goo-Dolls. Tell me in a review whether or not you think I should do I songfic involving Ginny using that song!

Enough about me!

How did you like this chapter? I added in a big dose of Ginny-Sirius for everyone who wanted some bonding between the two.

Please, tell me how I did!

Review! They're the only things that keep me going.

-Rox


	31. July 30, 1995

July 30, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I've seen the Honeydukes chocolate that Ron and Hermione are sending to Harry tomorrow. His gifts are two little bags filled to the brim with delicious sweets. Harry is one lucky wizard! Ron wouldn't even let me take a tiny caramel from one of the bags. I've been craving Honeydukes all day!

Anyway, last night, I fell asleep to the tune of the jewelery box that I keep this journal in. It's something about that slow, peaceful melody that just drifts my stressful thoughts away. I'm dying to know what song is called, and Sirius can't recall the name. So for now, I'm calling it the Dream Lullaby, because after hearing it, I had the most pleasant dream about clouds, the ocean, and the beach.

But the memory of my soothing dream was wiped away this morning, when an emergency Order meeting woke us all up. Mum came bustling upstairs, telling us to get up, but not to come back upstairs. Hermione and I went into Ron's room, where he, Fred, and George were waiting for us.

George wanted to nip downstairs and listen in on the meeting with the Extendable Ears, but Fred told him that there's a big chance that there's a charm on the kitchen door. Apparently, the Ears don't do so well after they encounter constriction spells.

We spent the rest of the morning exchanging theories about the Order meeting. Ron reckons that someone else got hurt during guard duty. Fred and George both say think that Dumbledore's involved somehow. Hermione says that someone was caught during guard duty.

And quite frankly, I don't know what my theory is. This angered Hermione slightly because it looked like she wanted to have an open debate about the Order meeting. I just sat there on Ron's bed, listening to the conversation, until I got bored. Then I came back to my room, where I've been ever since.

I wrote a letter to Michael as soon as I sat down, and I asked him if he believed all of the things that the Daily Prophet is saying about Dumbledore and Harry. I'm starting to get used to signing letters "Love, Ginny", so used to it that the word "love" seems to fly out of my quill as if it's echanted or something. I sent the letter off with Pigwidgeon about four hours ago.

You know what? I'm not entirely sure I want to hear any bad news from the Order anymore. I know, it sounds awfully selfish, but I know the story from back to front, and the bad news only troubles me further. You-Know-Who is killing people and the Ministry tells everyone else that everything's perfectly fine!

I've been thinking all afternoon about the fact that the Ministry refuses to believe Dumbledore and Harry. They're putting the entire world at stake, and not just wizards, but the Muggle world as well. You-Know-Who could be using this ignorance to his advantage. That means he can strike anywhere he wants to, and the Ministry will keep plowing on with their "You-Know-Who's dead" crap. It's rather frightening, once you think it through.

I can only imagine how Harry must feel. I haven't been thinking a lot about him lately, but you can't mention You-Know-Who without thinking "Harry Potter". He's only got the Order protecting him; everyone else thinks he's a lying attention-seeker. You-Know-Who has been trying to kill him since he was a baby; Harry can't be too happy with the news that the world doesn't believe You-Know-Who is really back. It must be horrible for him.

All right. This Order stuff is starting to get me stressed out.

Ah. I've just opened up the jewelry box. The Dream Lullaby is wafting around the room. Hopefully, it will help me clear my thoughts. I have got to find out the name of that song! It's going to drive me crazy if I don't.

I can see my ruby necklace glinting from it's place in the box. I'm just itching to show it off, but at the same time, I don't want the entire house to know about Michael, especially my brothers!

Maybe if I think of another reason for having the necklace, then just maybe I can wear it around the house. But then people will get suspicious…

But it's such a pretty necklace…

Oh, Mum's calling everyone down for lunch. I know I haven't written much, but I'm starving!

'Night,

-Ginny

* * *

I am SO sorry about this slightly-shorter chapter, but I have to clean my room again. ARGH!

Special thanks to my reviewers. Hopefully I'll be able to thank all of you in person on the next update. I hate HOTMAIL! But please, keep on reviewing, I love all of you!

How do you think I did with this chapter? I know it's shorter than my other ones, but I'm in a hurry here.

Please review, thanks!

-Rox


	32. July 31, 1995

July 31, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

It's Harry's birthday today, and I just watched as Ron and Hermione sent off their presents with Pigwidgeon. Hermione told me that she worried Harry won't accept their gifts, but what person in their right minds wouldn't accept two bags filled with chocolate from Honeydukes?

I certainly wouldn't, that's for sure.

I wonder if Harry is having a happy birthday. I mean, if you were forced to live with three insufferable Muggles for most of the summer holiday, would you have a happy fifteenth birthday?

I should think not!

The moods of everyone in the house are very solemn, and it's got everything to do with that Order meeting yesterday. I finally figured everything out. Well, okay, I listened in on a conversation, but I still have the right information, so that's all that matters at the moment. I can hardly blame the members of the Order for being so serious…

Okay.

This morning, during breakfast, I started eavesdropping on a conversation between Dad and Professor Lupin. Yes, I know, eavesdropping is wrong, but I wouldn't have found out anything if I hadn't bent the rules a bit. So, anyway, the two of them were talking about yesterday's emergency meeting, and I actually found out quite a bit.

Apparently, Tonks was on guard duty two nights ago at the Ministry. She saw Lucius Malfoy hanging around the place she was supposed to be guarding, and this was a cause for alarm for the Order. Members are guarding something from You-Know-Who, and now everyone's worried that he knows what they're guarding.

Malfoy is a Death Eater (but the rest of the world has yet to find out), and everyone believes that You-Know-Who told Malfoy to "check up" on whatever the Order is guarding. Malfoy walked away as soon as Tonks spotted him, but he's still very suspicious, and it's a bump in the Order's plans.

I didn't hear anything else, because Dad left for the Ministry and Professor Lupin had a meeting with Dumbledore up at Hogwarts. I tried to act as though my I hadn't heard a single thing of what they were saying, but my heart was pounding a mile a minute and I could barely focus on my breakfast.

Mum noticed, and she'd taken to her head that I'm sick, so she sent me upstairs to my bedroom, where I've been ever since then. Hermione came in later, and I told her all that I had heard in the conversation between Dad and Professor Lupin. She gasped and ran off to tell Ron, Fred, and George. Ron asked Hermione and I if we wanted to play chess, but I opted against it, seeing as Mum would get suspicious if she saw me out of bed.

I've been listening to the Dream Lullaby, in hopes that it will help clear my troubled thoughts, but it doesn't seem to be working. The melody is only causing me to dwell even more on what I heard Dad and Professor Lupin talking about.

There's a Death Eater working at the Ministry, practically right alongside Dad! I guess I never really realized it until today. It's a rather scary thought, now that I'm thinking about it. You-Know-Who is probably getting a daily report about the Ministry from Malfoy, and it's becoming a huge threat to the Order.

I'm wearing my ruby necklace, underneath my tank top, of course. It's usually comforting to me when I wear it around my neck, but in this case, it doesn't seem to be much of a help. The feel of the cold gold chain against my skin isn't as reassuring as it usually is.

Speaking of the ruby necklace, I received a reply from Michael this morning, just after Mum sent me upstairs to bed. It seems that his family is on the fence about deciding if You-Know-Who is really back or not. His mother wants to believe Dumbledore, but at the same time, she wants to feel safe and secure within her own home, so she wants to side with the Ministry as well. It all sounds so confusing, and I pity Michael just a little bit.

Michael asked me about Diagon Alley, and I have yet to ask Mum and Dad. I'm not even sure if we're even going to Diagon Alley this year, but I really hope we do. It's not just because I'll probably be meeting Michael, but the entire place just has a sense of comfort and happiness, even within this troubled times of You-Know-Who.

Oh. Hermione's just come back from Ron's room, and she looks a little pink in the face. She's telling me about how she just lost three straight games of chess against Ron. She must know that Ron wins just about every chess game he plays. That's why I don't agree to play against him. The outcome is so predictable that even Buckbeak could tell that Ron is an expert chess player who wins all the time.

What was I talking about again? Oh, yes, the emergency Order meeting.

Bill stopped by about an hour ago to see how I was doing, because Mum told him that I was sick. I said that I was fine, and then I started grilling him for details on the meeting. I didn't dare tell him about how I eavesdropped on Dad and Professor Lupin, but Bill still wouldn't tell me any other details. There's got to be more Death Eaters working at the Ministry, though. I'm almost sure of it.

My head is starting to hurt from all of these stressful thoughts. And Hermione's talking to me again. Can't she see that I'm writing? Ah, well, I'd better listen to her. She might be saying something important.

I hope I'll be able to get to sleep tonight. I'm praying that all this Order information doesn't make me have another nightmare, because I haven't had one of those in a long while, and I'd prefer it if I didn't have one again. I just can't stop thinking about what Dad and Professor Lupin said. Death Eaters at the Ministry…and no one but the Order knows…

Hopefully I'll get some sleep. I need my rest!

Oh, dear. Now I sound like Hermione when she's complaining about the "invention noise" coming from Fred and George's room. Personally, I don't know what she's complaining about. Those two are going to back a fat sack of Galleons with their joke products. Maybe they'll sell their ideas to Zonko's, or even start their own joke shop.

Mum would just love that.

Hermione's giving me the evil eye because I'm not responding to her. I'd better go.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Hooray! Longer chapter! I had to write this one twice because my floppy disk wasn't working, so I hope all of you enjoyed it!

I'd like to formally apologize for the yesterday's entry. There were loads of typos, and I just didn't put as much effort into it. I basically just rushed through the whole thing. Sorry!

How do you like this chapter? Sorry, I can't make this note too long. I'm supposed to be cleaning my room, and my mom's hovering over my shoulder right now.

Please, review! Thanks so much!

-Rox


	33. August 1, 1995

August 1, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I managed to get some sleep last night, but in my opinion, I need about five more hours of rest. Surprisingly, I didn't have a nightmare last night, but no matter how hard I tried, I just could not close my eyes for longer than five minutes at a time. Strange, I know, but true.

It's early in the afternoon, just after lunch, and Hermione's been worrying about Harry the entire day. And since Ron's busy with some holiday work he left until last minute, it's me who's had to put up with it. Considering that I'm trying to stop thinking so much about Harry, it's getting on my nerves.

In fact, she's talking to me even as I write. I'm just nodding my head every few seconds so at least it looks like I'm listening. I don't want to be rude by actually telling her to shut her mouth.

"Harry usually writes a thank-you letter to us after he receives a present." "What if he's upset with us?" "What if he didn't even get our presents?"

Does she ever shut up? Maybe I should go ask Ron for advice on making Hermione just be quiet. I pity his soul if he's the one who has to listen to her gabbing all the time.

All right. Enough pitying my brother.

The entire house seems silent, apart from the fact that Hermione is running her mouth a mile a minute. Even Kreacher has stopped his muttering. In fact, I don't even know where Kreacher is. Sirius reckons he went into the attic again to try and save some of the Black junk.

Anyway, it feels like something's about to happen. It's like…what was Bill talking about yesterday? About Fleur's French romance novels? Oh yeah.

It's like the calm before the storm. Nothing seems to be going wrong today. Mrs. Black isn't screaming…Kreacher isn't insulting…Order members aren't flooding in with bad news about the Death Eaters…even the noise from Fred and George's room is minimal. It's just so…weird, I suppose. I can't really find a better word to describe it.

Now, I'm not a Seer or anything. Don't go thinking that I'm like that crazy Divination teacher, Professor Trelawney, because I'm not. It's just this gut feeling I have…but then again, my gut feelings aren't always right. One time, I had a gut feeling that Colin Creevey was going to ask me out, but all he really wanted was for me to help him with his Transfiguration homework.

So I could be wrong about this entire "calm before the storm" thing. Maybe it's just a quiet day in the house…but then again, there's never a quiet day in this house…

You know what? I'm just going to go with my gut feeling on this and say that something's going to happen in the next day or two. And if something doesn't happen? Well, I'll just say that my gut feeling was wrong, that's all.

I am so bored. That's the only bad thing about having a quiet day in the house. There's nothing to do, nothing to eavesdrop on, no one to yell at…the list goes on and on. Bill's got another "lesson" with Fleur today after he finishes his work at Gringotts, so he won't be home until later on tonight. I'm not even going to bother trying to change the subject with Hermione. She'll probably be talking about her concerns all day.

That's why I'm half-hoping that something big will happen, and soon. I need a little variety to shake things up a little bit around here. Planting fake spiders in Ron's room with Fred and George can only provide so much entertainment. And besides, after the fifth time, Ron's screams aren't the same as the first through fourth times.

So, for the sake of my sanity, I hope Tonks comes for dinner tonight. Watching her morph into different people can never get old.

I think Sirius mentioned something about Mundungus Fletcher stopping by for dinner. That should be fun. Mum thinks that inviting him to a meal is going too far, but he's entertaining, especially with his imitations of the people he's hoodwinked. Mum isn't terribly fond of him, but he's help to the Order, so she tolerates him. I reckon she's going to blow her top if Mundungus smokes his purple pipe like he did last time.

Now that was a row to remember.

Ah. Hermione's finally left the room. She's probably off to see if Ron is finished with his homework yet, so that she can have another person to relay her Harry troubles to. I stopped responding to her voice about five minutes ago, so she probably gave up on me and decided to move on to the next "victim", my brother. I hope she stays there all night, for the sake of everyone's sanity. Except for Ron's, of course.

Nah. Just kidding. I wouldn't want my brother going insane. Because then Hermione would be forced to talk me to insanity, and that would be good…

Oh my god. I'm babbling about…Hermione. Hmmm. This is a first. I wonder if this is how Ron feels every time his train of thought drifts to Hermione. He must feel like this every day! Wow.

Lovely. There's a spider crawling across my ceiling. It's not that I'm afraid of them or anything, but it's annoying when they just crawl out of nowhere like that and surprise you. Maybe I should go get Ron and lock him in my room with me.

No. I won't do that. I've got a gut feeling that I'll get in trouble if I do.

There goes my gut feeling again. Ah, well. Here's to hoping that my gut feeling turns out to be true. But not the getting in trouble feeling. The one about something big happening. Yeah, that's the one.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Wow. I'm updating earlier than usual. I've got loads of time on my hands, it seems, and I'm finding it rather frightening.

But enough about that.

Cheers to my reviewers. I can't even keep track of all of my reviewers anymore, but I just want each and every one of you to know that I adore you all! It's because of you that I haven't given up on this story, so thanks for motivating me after every update!

Puddlemere News: I'll try to get the third chapter up later on tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. Here's a little spoiler: it's the morning after Natalie and Oliver's little "fling"…what happens when they wake up? And what will Andrea say if she finds out?

So…how did you like this chapter? I know I ask that question a lot, but I really value your opinions. And because of that, I've made up a little survey for you to complete in a review:

1) More humor or more seriousness?

2) Which character would you like to see Ginny bonding with?

3) Do you think I am portraying Ginny's spirit and personality correctly? If not, please tell me how I can make it better, but please be kind, no flames allowed.

4) Are any of the other characters becoming OOC (out of character for my less-fan fiction literate reviewers)? If so, how can I make them more true to Jo's ideas, but please be kind, no flames allowed.

5) Is there anything that I've written that confuses you? Please tell me if there is anything that you don't fully understand, because I'd be happy to explain anything to you.

Please answer the above questions truthfully, but kindly, as I've said before, no flames allowed. I value your opinions and suggestions, but please be nice!

And now it is time for you to press the little purple button on the lower left-hand corner of your screen and send me a review! Don't forget to number your answers to my survey.

Thanks so much, and keep reviewing!

-Rox


	34. August 2, 1995

August 2, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Oh my god.

That's all I can really say.

Good night!

…

You thought I would actually leave you with just that, when so much has happened? Think again.

Remember my gut feeling from yesterday? Let's just say that my gut feeling turned out to be right. Something big did happen, but it isn't a good thing. It's not good at all. In fact, it's probably the worst thing to happen this summer, apart from the fact that You-Know-Who returned to power.

Two Dementers attacked Harry and his Muggle cousin just a few hours ago. It's mass hysteria here at Headquarters. People are going to and coming back from the Ministry as quickly as possible, trying to sort things out.

Harry used a Patronus against the Dementers, and it's a breach of Underage Sorcery to preform magic in front of a Muggle _or_ outside of Hogwarts. Mrs. Figg saw him do it, and she came straight to headquarters as soon as she delivered Harry back to his aunt and uncle's house.

Some people blame Mundungus Fletcher, because he was supposed to be tailing Harry, but just a few minutes before the Dementer attack, he left Privet Drive to see about some stolen cauldrons. Mum is simply furious with Mundungus. She believes that if only he had been there, then maybe Harry wouldn't have needed to use a Patronus, and then we wouldn't be in the middle of this huge mess.

Dumbledore left for the Ministry about an hour ago. Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and I saw him over the banister. It was frightening. I have never seen the Headmaster so upset before. He is absoloutely furious with Mundungus, even more than Mum is. I only say him for a few minutes, but I saw enough to know that he's boiling mad.

Mum's downstairs in the Order meeting now, and she's instructed all of us to stay in the same bedroom while she's gone. So Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and I are all sitting in Ron's room right now.

Hermione's on the verge of tears. Ron looks very pale. Mum's banned them from writing letters to Harry until everything's sorted out. We don't even need the Extendable Ears to hear what's going on downstairs in the meeting. Everyone's shouting and screaming.

I'm trying to listen to the meeting and write at the same time, so bear with me here. It seems that everyone is worried Harry might be expelled, because the Ministry is definitly not on his side anymore. What if he gets his wand snapped in half?

Hermione's telling all of us that there's a part of the Underage Sorcery law that says magic used in life-threatening situations in not illegal. I don't know about the Ministry, but I classify being attacked by two Dementers a "life-threatening situation". They could suck out your soul, and then you'd just be a body, not knowing what's what. Dad had to go to Azkaban once, and he told everyone how the prisoners looked once they were given the Dementer's Kiss.

Harry's lucky that he can perform such a powerful Patronus. Otherwise, the Dementers would have gotten him and his cousin. Dudley Dursley wouldn't be a great loss to the world, from what I've heard about him from Ron and Hermione, but there would be hell to pay if a Muggle got his soul sucked out by a Dementer he couldn't even see.

But what if the Ministry doesn't classify a Dementer attack as a life-threatening situation in which magic was absoloutely neccesary to survive? What if Harry is expelled from Hogwarts? Mum will just die if that happens.

Either that, or demand that Harry be allowed to live with us back at the Burrow. But wouldn't Harry just come to 12 Grimmauld Place? Sirius is technically is guardian, since his aunt and uncle treat him like dung…

Oh, I don't know what to think anymore! Everything's just happening so fast. One minute, I'm doubtful about my gut feelings, and then the next, Dementers are popping up all over a Muggle neighborhood, right in the alleyway where The-Boy-Who-Lived and his cousin were.

Question is…how did the Dementers even get there? I remember Dad saying that Dementers can't see, that they just feed off of human emotion, and that the Azkaban Fortress is on an isolated island.

You know what? I bet that someone sent them to Harry's neighborhood. It was probably someone from the Ministry, someone who wanted to punish Harry for spreading all of the "lies" about You-Know-Who really being alive. But who on Earth could get away with sending the Dementers away from Azkban?

How much do you want to bet that it was Lucius Malfoy? Come on, now, all of the pieces are starting to fit together! Malfoy works at the Ministry. According to Dad, Malfoy gets away with everything (including being a Death Eater) because he gives the Ministry a load of gold every year. And who hates Harry more than anything right now, because he witnissed You-Know-Who's return?

Lucius Malfoy, that's who!

Oh. The shouting's stopped. Maybe Dumbledore came back from the Ministry.

Never mind. Everyone's screaming again.

Hermione just tapped me on the shoulder. She wants to know if I want to come back to our bedroom with her. I think I'm going to call it a night.

Here's to hoping that Harry doesn't get expelled,

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Yes, the Dementer attack has finally come! And if anyone's doubtful that I have the dates right, I've double-checked with my own copy of OotP and it cleary states that Harry performed the Patronus on the night of August 2. I'm trying to make everything as true to the book as possible, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job at it, don't you think?

Cheers to my lovely reviewers, all of whom answered my survey questions truthfully. I'll take your comments and suggestions into consideration. Everyone seems to agree that Ron is getting a little OOC, and I'll be working on that during the next few chapters. Thanks for reviewing and responding to my survey?

Puddlemere News: Chapter Three, "The Morning After", is now up, so please check that out after you've finished reviewing this story, and don't forget to review Puddlemere Night Stand! Thanks!

How did you like this chapter? This is one of the entries that needed to be serious, but except more humor once Harry arrives at 12 Grimmauld Place in a few days.

Also, I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes. Every time I use the Spell Checker on my computer, everything freezes. So sorry!

Now it's time to press the little purple button on the lower left-hand corner of your screen and give me a nice review like good little readers ;)

-Rox


	35. August 3, 1995

August 3, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I am so tired right now. I got no sleep. None at all. People were shouting and screaming downstairs until one in the morning, and Hermione and I had no choice but to wait up all night for them to stop.

I never knew that Hermione could be so worried about Harry. Don't get me wrong: I'm worried about him, too. Things seem to be looking up, but only very slightly. Dad reported this morning that the Improper Use of Magic office is going to give him a hearing before determining whether or not to snap his wand.

This news only troubled Hermione even more. She says that the Ministry will never side with Harry, and they won't believe that two Dementors were really in a Muggle neighborhood. I shared my "Lucius-Malfoy-sent-the-Dementors-after-Harry" theory with her after breakfast, but I think it was a big mistake. She looks even more worried now than she did last night.

I'm trying to keep a cool and level head through this entire ordeal. It might be the only thing that will help me keep my sanity.

Okay. So that was an overstatement. But all this talk of Harry getting expelled is enough to drive anyone crazy. Did you know that Mum and Sirius are arguing over who gets to "keep Harry" if he's expelled? He didn't even get the hearing yet, so no one knows what's going to happen!

I'm surprised that the Daily Prophet hasn't reported anything about the Dementor attacks yet. Hermione received the latest edition of it early this morning, and she pillaged it for any other news about Harry's hearing. There isn't a word about it at all, though there is a snide comment about something being "a tale worthy of Harry Potter" on the third page.

It's obvious that the Ministry is trying to keep everything hush-hush. What would the public say about two out-of-control dementors suddenly popping out of seemingly nowhere? And with everyone at the Ministry trying to convince the rest of the world that You-Know-Who is dead…a dementor attack wouldn't sit well, now would it?

I was thinking about this yesterday, but that thought has just resurfaced in my mind. What if Harry does get expelled from Hogwarts? Mum will put up a fight to make sure he stays with us, but then again, Sirius will fight for custody equally as hard. But he's still on the run from Azkaban, so I guess that won't really work out. There'll be a huge row between him and Mum, though, when it comes to who is Harry's "real" guardian.

I guess it never occurred to them that Harry will probably be shipped back to his aunt and uncle's house for eternity in the event of his expulsion from Hogwarts. But let's not jinx it by saying it out loud, okay?

I'm playing the Dream Lullaby right now. Maybe it will help me get to sleep tonight. I know I shouldn't be thinking about Harry, as I'm trying to get over him and all (and I think I'm doing quite well, thank you very much). But sometimes I just can't help it, and this is a rather serious subject that has nothing to do with me having a crush on him (which I most certainly do not).

On a brighter note, I still do not have a clue about the bloody name of that song! It's going to drive me crazy, I swear it. I've looked through Hermione's Magical Melodies Collection (who would have thought?), but none of the tunes seem to match the Dream Lullaby. So the Dream Lullaby it shall stay.

Until I find its real name, of course, because I most certainly will. Maybe the Madame Pince at the Hogwarts library can help me find The Extended Version of Magical Melodies Collection or something.

I've just written a letter to Michael. Mum's warned all of us to be careful what we say in our letters, and she's just "re-warned" us, because of the dementor attack and everything. What does she think I'm going to do, write to my boyfriend and say, "Oh my god, Harry just got attacked by dementors, what are we going to do?"

Honestly. No, wait, that's Hermione's word. Anyway…

I was as casual as possible with Michael, telling him that I am still unsure about us meeting in Diagon Alley. He, of course, knows of my brother situation. Who can think of the name "Weasley" and not think "overprotective brothers"? I'm sure he'll understand if I don't want to meet up with him.

If we even get the chance to go to Diagon Alley, that is. The prospect was dim even before the dementor attack, and now I know that there probably isn't even the slightest chance we'll be able to go.

Oh. I think Mum is caling us downstairs. Yes, she is. I've got to run. Bye!

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Oh, I know this chapter is slightly shorter than the other ones, but my computer is totally screwed up, and you're lucky I even wrote this much. Just kidding.

Thanks to all of my reviewers. I love each and every one of you guys! And thanks for correcting my spelling of "dementor". I wasn't sure, and my sister had the Harry Potter book with her. So sorry about that!

My life has been looking up. My father just got a job interview for tomorrow, so everyone, keep your fingers crossed that he gets it! I'll be going to high school next year, and Lord knows how much my family needs money right now.

Also, **Siriusly Pranked** pointed out that Kelly Clarkson's new song, "Hear Me", describes this story. I have it on my iPod, and I was listening to it just a few minutes ago, and it's just perfect! Thanks, Siriusly!

I'll post the lyrics here in time, but if you could, check out that song and see how you like it!

How do you think I did with this chapter? Will Ginny ever find out the real name for the Dream Lullaby? Stay tuned!

Don't forget to review the latest chapter of "Puddlemere"!

Now press the little purple box and review!

-Rox


	36. August 4, 1995

August 4, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

There's a major Order meeting going on downstairs in the kitchen right now. Mum chased us all upstairs a few minutes ago, so it looks like we'll be having a late dinner.

Mum's gone and charmed the kitchen door again, so the Extendable Ears are a no-go. It feels weird because I have no idea what's going on, and whether it's good or bad news that the Order members are sharing.

Hermione's been poring all over her textbooks since early this morning. She says she's trying to research every little thing that could prove Harry's innocence at the Ministry hearing. She hasn't said a word since lunch, I know better than to disturb her.

I got plenty of rest last night, seeing as Mum let us all sleep in late for once. It was rather unusual, but I think she was just trying to "pamper" us so we wouldn't complain about not being allowed to know anything that has to do with Harry. Either that, or she knows we're all stressed because of the dementor attack.

So, anyway, I'm loaded with energy because I got my usual ten hours of sleep, but I've got nothing to help me exert the energy so I won't be all jumpy tonight. I've been up in my room for most of the day, except for the kitchen for breakfast and lunch.

In fact, this has got to be one of the most boring days of the summer.

Yes, I know, it doesn't seem believable, but trust me, I'm bored stiff. Sure, my mind is still reeling with the possibility that Harry may get his wand snapped in half. I'm worried about the hearing and everything, don't get my wrong about that. But, somehow, not having the knowledge of what's going on in the Order meeting has somewhat…calmed me.

Ugh. I know. It sounds terribly stupid, because usually I'm all jumpy if I don't know what a huge Order meeting is about. But this time it's just…different, I don't know. I'm actually enjoying full nights of sleep, thank you very much.

Lovely. Hermione's just found an excellent topic in one of her textbooks and she's making such a racket as she writes down every single sentence with her quill. I mean, I don't make that much noise when I write with a quill…do I?

Maybe I do. Hmmm. That's something to investigate. But now is not the time.

I got a letter from Michael just after lunch. He said the usual things, and he sounds disappointed that I probably won't be able to meet him in Diagon Alley. He wrote "I want to see you so badly", and that just makes me want to run downstairs and cry in front of Mum until she finally gives in a lets me go. Maybe the old "I'm your only little girl" line will work this time.

Hey, it's worked plenty of times before, so why shouldn't it work now?

I still cannot get over the fact that Michael signs his letters "Love,". I sign them that way too, but he started the trend. He's so thoughtful and sweet and…

I sound like Lavender Brown when she's talking about Seamus Finnegan. I don't think that's a good thing. Okay. I'll stop fawning over Michael now.

I was talking to Bill this morning during breakfast, and he says that there's not a chance we'll be able to go to Diagon Alley this year. He kept staring at me when I moodily stabbed at my toast with a knife. I think he knows that I really wanted to meet Michael there. I'm not worried. Besides, it's not like he's going to tell anyone that me and Michael are together, right?

I want to listen to the Dream Lullaby so badly, but I don't want to disturb Hermione. She's still scribbling away with her quill, making more noise than she was before. She makes little squeaks of triumph right before she puts down a paragraph on her parchment.

Harry is terribly lucky to have such a clever and friendly witch on his side, right when he needs it the most.

But the thing is, I'm not sure if he knows that he has so many people who care for him. His last few letters to Hermione have been short, edgy, and glum. Harry must think that she and Ron have turned their backs on him, since none of us can tell Harry what's going on here in 12 Grimmauld Place.

Hermione's been worried that their lack of information for him was the cause of the dementor attack. We overheard a conversation last night, and Professor Lupin said that Harry had walked away from his uncle's house in "frustration", according to Mrs. Figg's cat. Hermione thinks that if only Harry knew half of what was truly going on, then maybe he wouldn't have left in the first place.

That's a whole lot of rubbish, if you ask me. Harry's uncle, from what I've heard from Hermione, is always treating Harry like dung just because he's a wizard. Personally, I blame Harry's uncle for causing his nephew to run away like that.

Oh. Mum's calling us all downstairs for dinner. I'll write tomorrow.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Oh, was this was one too short? Sorry! I've been at the pool with my friend Jennifer all day long, and I've only just gotten home.

Cheers to my fantastic reviewers. Is it just me, or do I seem to be getting less and less reviews for each chapter?

My motto: **If you read it, review it! **

So, anyway, has anyone checked out Kelly Clarkson's "Hear Me" yet? Here are some lyrics that fit Ginny's journal if you haven't listened to the song yet:

_Cause there are these nights when _

_I sing myself to sleep _

_Hoping my dreams bring you close to me… _

_Are you listening? _

That's all for now.

How do you think I did with this chapter? I've hit that little wall of writer's block again, so please be patient with me.

Expect a new Puddlemere chapter tomorrow!

Review, please and thank you!

-Rox


	37. August 5, 1995

August 5, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

It's very late. So late, in fact, that I shouldn't even be up. But Hermione and I are still awake, writing my candlelight (she's still researching information for Harry's hearing at the Ministry).

Everyone in the house is asleep, and Mum has long since stopped checking on each of our bedrooms, so we're perfectly safe staying up late. After so many nights of trying to get some rest, it feels very odd depriving myself of it, but at the same time, I don't feel the last bit tired.

In fact, I feel so energized right now that I could probably run around the house, just to blow off some steam.

Anyway, Mum informed us all at breakfast that Harry will be arriving tomorrow evening. Dumbledore has organized a guard that will fly to Surrey and safely deliver Harry to 12 Grimmauld Place.

The guard includes Professor Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Emmeline Vance, and several others that I've never even heard of before. According to Mum, Dumbledore had to narrow down his choices because of the many members who volunteered to be part of the guard. Harry is actually popular amongst the Order members.

Ron and Hermione both grinned at the news of Harry's impending arrival, and Sirius seemed to be happier than he's been for days.

As for me?

I'm not entirely sure about how I feel about Harry coming. I mean, I suppose I'm a little bit excited, seeing as he still thinks I like him (which I don't, in case you didn't know). But I think that this is my big chance to show Harry that I'm totally over him.

That means no more blushing when he's around, speaking in coherent sentences towards him, and none of this "dropping everything" when Harry walks into the room.

That shouldn't be too hard.

Right?

Anyway, Hermione's been overloading me with information about Harry's hearing all day. She has about four or five feet of parchment written about why Harry will not be expelled or have his wand snapped in half.

Apparently, there's a part of the Decree Against Underage Sorcery (or whatever Hermione called it. I wasn't really paying attention) that says that magic used in life-threatening situations will not be punished.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I really do think that being attacked by dementors is a life-threatening situation in which using magic is necessary. I hope that the Ministry sees it that way as well.

I won't dare listen to the Dream Lullaby tonight. Mum will probably hear it and then she'll scold me and Hermione for staying up so late. I don't even know what time it is, but it's so peaceful, sitting here, writing by candlelight. The quiet is only occasionally interrupted by Hermione's quill scratching furiously against a sheet of parchment. I think she must be nearing six feet of information by now.

I sent off another letter to Michael, and I have yet to receive a reply from him. I don't think I've ever been this impatient while waiting for letters from other people. But this time is different. This time, I'm waiting for a letter from my boyfriend, whom I can't seem to stop thinking about.

Strange. I feel like back when I used to like Harry, constantly thinking about him, writing his name all over the place. Except this time, it's with Michael. Oh god. It's like déjà vu or something.

Oh, dear. I'm starting to yawn. My eyelids are feeling rather heavy. But I really want to stay awake. I want to keep writing. I want to keep telling this journal every last one of my thoughts of the day.

But that is just going to have to wait for tomorrow.

You want to know what just hit me?

Harry's coming tomorrow night.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Oh, dear. I am terribly sorry for the short chapter. I'm very tired at the moment, just like Ginny is, and if I don't stop typing soon, I'll slump over the keyboard, and that won't exactly go over well with my parents, seeing as this is their computer that I'm using for this update.

Cheers to my lovely reviewers. I love each and every last one of you! I know I haven't been able to thank you all personally, but I will in do time. Keep reviewing!

How did you like this chapter? I know, it was short, please don't hate me!

Please, review, I love seeing messages in my inbox!

-Rox


	38. August 6, 1995

August 6, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Harry arrived a few hours ago. I must say, I'm not as fazed as I thought I would be. I guess I should start at the beginning.

I woke up this morning with a giddy feeling in my stomach, which I assumed was because Harry would be coming. But that feeling quickly disappeared after breakfast. I was surprised, but I let it slip and wrote a letter to Michael.

By lunchtime, Hermione was getting a bit antsy, and she spent most of her time in Ron's room, talking to him about Harry most likely, so I just came back upstairs to our bedroom. I thought about writing here, but I figured I should wait until Harry got here.

A few hours after lunch, Mum informed us all that the guard had begun their flight to Surrey. Hermione was acting like a jumping bean, so she and Ron went back to his bedroom and I went back to mine.

I twiddled away the time by listening to the Dream Lullaby. Still, I didn't feel at all nervous that Harry was going to be in the house at any second. I looked over some of my holiday homework, and basically I was bored stiff.

At around eight at night, I heard an explosion of sound coming from Ron's bedroom. At first, I thought he and Hermione were having another row. But the person shouting didn't sound like anyone I'd heard from in a while. I heard screams of "dementors" and "me" and "big deal".

Then it hit me. Harry was the one shouting at Ron and Hermione. Harry was here.

I must admit, I got a little nervous when I started to think about it. I abandoned everything and was about to say hello to him when I realized that an Order meeting was going on downstairs, and strangely, I wanted to listen in.

I had been talking to Tonks during lunch, and she taught me how to tell if a door's been charmed. I started chucking a few of Fred and George's abandoned Dungbombs at the door from the top of the stairs and they soared away from it, meaning that it had been charmed.

Harry had stopped shouting and I figured it safe to say hello to him. I entered the bedroom and told Harry that I had heard his voice from my bedroom. He didn't take too much notice of me after that, but I wasn't upset or disappointed or anything.

Hermione explained everything to Harry, from the row with Percy to the Daily Prophet spreading lies about him and Dumbledore. Mum came in after that and made me wash my hands before dinner. They were dirty from the Dungbombs.

Dinner went over well. Everyone was dying to see Harry. Hermione and I challenged Tonks to change into different appearances between mouthfuls of Mum's famous, delicious food. Mundungus was smoking his pipe again. Mum wasn't too happy about that.

But after dinner, it all went down hill.

Sirius mentioned something about Harry not asking questions about You-Know-Who, and Sirius and Mum got into a huge argument about who had the right to tell Harry about everything and who didn't. Professor Lupin ended it by saying that Harry had every right to know what was really going on.

Mum wanted to send all of us up to bed, but in the end, she let Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George stay and listen to the Order members talk.

But she didn't let me!

Mum walked me upstairs to bed, and I started screaming at her, which I normally don't do. I told her that I was old enough to know, and that I wasn't a little girl anymore, something that I've been trying to prove to everyone all summer long. But she still wouldn't listen.

I waited up furiously for Hermione for at least a half an hour, thinking that she would tell me everything that happened in the kitchen. Out in the hallway, I heard Mum say that I was probably asleep. I could barely suppress a laugh as Hermione walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

She told me everything. And I don't think I'll be able to get to sleep tonight.

The Order has been guarding some sort of weapon that You-Know-Who didn't have last time around. He can only get it by stealth, and it's supposedly very dangerous.

The Order is having a very hard time convincing people that You-Know-Who is really back, but that wasn't such a shocker.

That's all that Hermione heard, because Mum interrupted Sirius and sent everyone up to bed. Hermione and I spent a few minutes talking, but then we heard Mum outside the door so pretended to be asleep.

Except Hermione really did fall asleep, so here I am, writing in this journal, afraid to sleep myself.

I keep wondering what the weapon is. Is it something worse than Avada Kedavra or the Crutacius Curse? Is it something that can wipe of the population of a single town in seconds? Is it…

My eyelids are drooping. Maybe this a sign that I'm ready to go to sleep. Nope, my eyes are back open again. Damn.

My last thought of the night: I really hope the Order protects that "weapon"

-Ginny

* * *

I'm tired. I'm depressed. I feel like I'm going to throw up any minute now. I think I might have to go to the hospital orsomething, because I'm burning up.This is probably one of the worst entries I've written so far. So I apologize deeply for that.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time around. I love you guys!

I don't have much time here. I'm so sorry if you didn't like this entry! I promise, the other ones will be better!

Please, review and be kind!

-Rox


	39. August 7, 1995

August 7, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

My mother is insane.

I know, it sounds awfully rude of me to say that about Mum, but it's the truth. She had us all cleaning.

Again. 

I suppose it's because Harry is here. Maybe Mum doesn't want him to think that all we basically did was sit on our bums the entire summer. My fingers hurt from using the doxy spray bottle so many times and my arms are sore from taking so many things out of cabinets.

Mum decided for us to tackle the drawing room today. The walls are covered in dirty tapestries that refuse to come down. The green drapes in the corner were alive with doxies, so Mum had us all spraying the life out of the poor curtains. We had to wear cloths over our mouths so we wouldn't inhale the fumes of the spray.

Just before lunch, the nasty house elf Kreacher came wandering into the room. He insulted Fred, George, and Hermione before setting his eyes on Harry. Kreacher muttered like a crazy fool about Harry's scar and You-Know-Who, but then Sirius walked in and chased him out of the room.

Sirius showed us the family tree tapestry hanging up in the corner of the room. It's dusty and some of the names have been blasted off. Mum came back upstairs after that and served us lunch, but Sirius and Harry remained at the tapestry.

After lunch, we started removing things from the cabinets in the drawing room. There was a music box much like my own, except the melody it played made everyone feel strangely calm and very tired.

While the music box was playing, I had a horrible flashback of the Chamber of Secrets. I was writing words on the castle walls in chicken blood, and Riddle was laughing somewhere unseen. I snapped out of my scary trance just in time to slam the lid of the music box shut.

Kreacher and Sirius had some sort of wrestling match over a gold ring with the Black family crest on it. Kreacher burst into tears and ran from the room, cursing us all as he did so. Sirius just shrugged and tossed the ring in the rubbish sack. Hermione looked as though she was going to lunge at Sirius with a knife.

She's still going on about S.P.E.W., mind you, and if all house elves are like Kreacher, that aren't worth the trouble.

Dinner came sooner than I had expected. The meal was very quiet. Harry ate so quickly that I thought he was going to choke. He ran upstairs to his bedroom, and not one of us said a thing, though I saw Ron and Hermione exchange worried glances when I got up to put my dishes in the sink.

Harry has been acting so strange since last night. You'd think that being with your best friends would cheer him up a bit. I suppose it's the Order information that's troubling him. It kept me up nearly half the night, so Harry must have gotten no sleep whatsoever.

Oddly, I have the strongest urge to stage a conversation with Harry about Michael. I have no idea why, though. Do I want to make Harry jealous by making it clear to him that he could have had me while he had his chance? Or do I just want to prove to myself that I really am over Harry?

It's so confusing. I couldn't stop thinking about that little predicament all through my letter to Michael.

Speaking of Michael, I'm wearing my ruby necklace right now. Thank the Lord that I didn't wear it while we were doing spraying the curtains for doxies. I'm wearing the necklace over my nightgown, but I'm still not daring to wear it around the house this summer. I want to actually see my boyfriend come September 1st, thank you very much.

Hermione asked me earlier on today if she should show her information on the hearing to Harry. Personally, I don't think she should show it to him at all, because he hasn't even brought up the hearing yet, so maybe he just doesn't want to think about it. But then again, I suppose Harry would want some hope that he'll be cleared of all charges at the Ministry.

Oh, I don't know anymore!

I just want this summer to end. I want to go back to Hogwarts. I want to see Michael and all of my other friends. I want to fly on a broomstick.

I want to be anywhere but here. 

That's a good note to end on.

'Night.

-Ginny

* * *

Oh my god. The last twenty-four hours have been living hell for me.

First of all, at around ten last night, I spiked a 105 fever and I threw up like seven times in a row. My parents drove me to the emergency room and the doctors hooked me up to all sorts of machines.

Turns out that I was like :this: close to passing out from exhaustion. I've been working myself too hard, but don't worry, it's not because of my writing. In fact, the doctor actually encouraged me to write, so expect more from me soon.

I've been doing some exercise and dieting the past few days, just to get in shape for school. It was literally eating me up from inside. The doctors said that I could have been seriously hurt.

That means that I can load up on as much ice cream, pizza, and junk food as I want.

Anyway, thanks for all the reviews. I'm almost up to 400! I love everyone who reads this story, even if you don't review!

Please, tell me how I did. I know it was short, but I have to take my medicine soon and it's…disgusting.

-Rox

(.P.S.) REVIEW!


	40. August 8, 1995

August 8, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Mum's been working us to the bone again. The drawing room is the one room that we've spent the most time trying to clean. We've removed most of the tapestries, but some of them just don't want to budge. Mum reckons there's a boggart in the writing desk, too. It keeps rattling and shaking like mad.

During our lunch break, I took the time to examine the Black family tree. You'll never in a million years believe what I found out!

Draco Malfoy is related to Sirius!

Who would have guessed, but I think that all pureblood families are related. It turns out that Sirius's cousin, Narcissa, is Malfoy's Mum! So I guess that makes Malfoy Sirius's second-cousin or something.

There are an awful lot of burn marks on the tapestry. I guess that Mrs. Black banished those people from the family or something. Sirius's name isn't even on there. I wonder why.

It can't be because of Azkaban. Bellatrix Lestrange (who's related to Sirius, too, did you know that?) is in Azkaban, and her name is still on the tapestry, shining in all of its sickening glory. What could Sirius have possibly done to have his own name blasted off of his family tree?

Hmmm…I bet Harry knows.

Speaking of Harry, I think he's starting to think more and more about his upcoming hearing. He looks awfully pale, and I overheard Ron telling Hermione that Harry hasn't been sleeping through the night.

Not as if Harry usually gets a full night's sleep. Ron told me that he has frequent nightmares that wake him up before the sun even rises.

I wonder if Harry is still upset at Ron and Hermione for not telling him what was really going on? It's a bit stupid, really, because he found out in the end, didn't he? And why stay mad at your best friends because they swore on their lives that they wouldn't tell you a single thing?

Don't get me wrong. I would be pretty angry at my best friends if that ever happened to me. But I wouldn't hold the grudge for that long.

Ron and Hermione have stuck by Harry for almost five years. They're the most loyal friends I've ever seen. I just hope that Harry isn't upset with them. I don't think I can handle Hermione sharing her worries with me for the rest of the summer.

Harry hasn't said a single word to me since he arrived here two days ago. Not that I expected him to say anything to me. He probably things I still like him, and that's why he doesn't really pay attention to me.

Ah, well. It's not like a really care.

I did a most daring thing today. I wore my ruby necklace underneath my T-shirt for the entire day. It was like I had some sort of secret weapon. No one else knew that I was wearing it. Not even Hermione knows that I decided to wear it today. I feel rather proud of myself, actually, for keeping the necklace and Michael a complete secret.

Michael is still very persistent about the whole "meet me in Diagon Alley please" situation. He's gone to begging me in his letters. He says that he wants to see my "beautiful face" before we get on the Hogwarts Express. I couldn't talk for almost five minutes after I read that part.

Moving on…

I'm not even going to ask Mum and Dad if we can go to Diagon Alley. They seem so preoccupied these days, and I don't blame them at all. With Harry's hearing, and the Ministry treating Dumbledore like a piece of dung on the ground, not to mention all the trouble with Percy and the Order.

Besides, Mum just wants to keep us all safe.

Maybe an Order member will go to Diagon Alley and pick up all of our schoolbooks. But why am I worried about schoolbooks? We haven't even gotten our Hogwarts letters yet?

I need to see Michael. That's why I want to go to Diagon Alley so bloody much. I know I sound like some foolish little girl when I say I need to see Michael, but I really do. We barely even started dating once term ended, and all I've heard from him is just from his letters, and that's not enough to last me through the entire summer.

But then there's that whole "my brothers will kill Michael" situation if anyone catches Michael and I together, either in Diagon Alley or at Hogwarts. Fred, George, and Ron can't really do much at school, but once we get home from Diagon Alley if they ever do find out…that will be an utter and complete nightmare.

You know what I've just realized? I haven't listened to the Dream Lullaby all day! I usually start the mornings by listening to it while I get dressed, but lately with the cleaning starting up again, I guess it just slipped my mind.

My, I'm getting tired, and I haven't even had dinner yet. I think I'll go see where Hermione's got to.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Longer chapter! I hope everyone's happy!

I would like to say thank you to all of my BLOODY FANTASTIC reviewers! Thanks so much for the get-well-soon messages. I'm feeling much better now, so expect more chapters in the future!

Puddlemere Night Stand will have to wait a few days. I was supposed to clean my room today, but I didn't. I wasted my entire day on the computer, and my mother's on a warpath today, so it wasn't exactly the greatest day to decide to not to clean my room. I can't even use the "I was in the hospital" excuse anymore, so I'm in BIIIIIG trouble.

And trust me, it's a complete MESS!

So I'll make my note very quick here.

Please, tell me how I did, and review!

-Rox


	41. August 9, 1995

August 9, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

We've finally finished cleaning the drawing room. It's taken nearly three days, but it's done, at last. We've managed to take down all of the tapestries. Now, the only undesirable things left in the room are the Black family tree (which just refused to budge) and the rattling writing desk.

Mum wants to wait until Moody stops by to see what's inside the writing desk. She's almost positive that it's a boggart, but, just to be safe, she says that she ought to have Moody check it out first. His magical blue eye can see through walls and things like that (!), so he's probably the best person to ask.

I had some fun during our lunch break. I was trying to imagine what everyone's boggart would be. Hermione's would probably be a piece of homework that only got nine out of ten. Ron's is obviously a spider (even a two-year-old could figure that one out). Fred and George's would probably be sitting behind desks at the Ministry.

When I came to Harry, I couldn't think of what he could possibly be afraid of. At first, I thought his boggart would be You-Know-Who, but he doesn't seem too frightened of him. A dementor perhaps? Or maybe a Ministry official snapping his wand in half…?

I started to think about what my own boggart would be. Riddle? Or something else, maybe.

After lunch ended, Mum informed us that we would be starting on the ground floor dining room first thing tomorrow morning. Hermione and I took a peek inside, and we're in for a load of work. There are cobwebs on everything and there are tons of pictures lining walls.

Fan-bloody-tastic. I'm going to spend my day tomorrow looking at pictures of convicted Death Eaters. Lovely.

Mum left us alone for the rest of the day, but when everyone retreated upstairs, I slipped into the kitchen, where Mum was starting on dinner. She smiled at me and I waited a few moments before asking her The Question.

"Are we going to Diagon Alley this summer?"

Mum didn't turn around for a while, so I thought she didn't hear me. But when she did turn around to face me, she had a sad smile on her face and she was shaking her head.

"I'm not so sure, Ginny dear." Mum told me. "Not with all of the Order things going on."

I considered telling her that the main reason I want to go to Diagon Alley so much is so that I can meet Michael, but I decided against it. It was a fair decision, too. Just seconds after I decided to keep my mouth shut, Ron wandered into the kitchen, asking if there were any leftover sandwiches from lunch.

Honestly, all my brother seems to think about is food! And Hermione, of course. Personally, I believe his mind is evenly divided between thinking about eating, Quidditch, and Hermione. If only I had scientific evidence to back myself up. I could make loads of Galleons. I can see it now:

"Step right up, step right up! For the meager price of two Galleons, you can speak to the boy who only ever thinks about three things! Step right up!"

Ah…that will be the day.

Hermione is babbling on and on about S.P.E.W. She's started thinking about it again ever since Sirius shut Kreacher out of the drawing room this morning, so he couldn't try and salvage the tapestries that Sirius wanted to be thrown away with the rest of the rubbish.

"Kreacher is old. He doesn't know what he's doing!" Hermione had begged while Sirius pushed Kreacher out of the room and bolted the door behind him. Her pleas fell upon deaf ears.

Oh, how I wish I were deaf at this moment, so I couldn't hear her raging on about elfish rights and the welfare for all cleaning creatures.

But if I were deaf, then I could never again hear Michael's voice, or listen to the Dream Lullaby at night. So forget that entire "I wish I was deaf" part. I think I can handle listening to Hermione, now that I think about it.

I wrote Michael a letter right after I received my answer from Mum. I put all of my disappointment into words on the parchment, and I sent it off with Pigwidgeon. I hope he understands that I'm not purposely staying out of Diagon Alley. I told Michael that my parents are deeply upset about the death of Cedric Diggory, and that they don't really want to bring the family anywhere this year.

Of course, I couldn't just tell him that I'm living at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, so hopefully, my explanation will be enough.

I caught Hermione writing a letter to Viktor Krum earlier on this evening. I thought that she had severed ties with that Durmstrang graduate, but apparently, he and her are now "pen pals".

Ha. I never knew that if a boy desperately wanted you, that you could become pen pals.

It was so obvious during the Yule Ball. Krum was crazy about Hermione. Something tells me that he isn't quite happy about just being her pen pal.

And something tells me that Ron isn't going to be too happy when he finds out that Hermione is still writing to Krum.

Oh, no! I won't tell Ron that Hermione's writing to him. I wouldn't even dream of it. I'm just saying that he's bound to find out eventually, and when he does…

Let's just say that I don't want to be in the same room as Ron for several months.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

I'm really loving writing this story. Can you tell?

First off, I'd like to send hugs and kisses out to all of my reviewers! You guys are so wonderful; I can't even use words to describe! I'm nearing 400 reviews, and I honestly didn't expect more than 50!

Thanks for everyone who wants to know how I'm feeling. I'm doing a bit better, but I'm still running a fever. I haven't been outside in two days, and I'm pining for my bike and tennis racket.

Let's hope that the fever breaks soon!

I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it. The summer is almost over…it's so sad! But you can expect a sequel come December.

You know what to do.

R-E-V-I-E-W!

-Rox


	42. August 10, 1995

August 10, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, today was rather interesting.

We started cleaning the ground floor dining room this morning. Mum managed to blast the cobwebs away with her wand, but there were still plenty hanging on the walls when we first walked in.

Fred opened one of the cupboards and announced to everyone that there were spiders larger than plates lurking in the drawers. Ron sped out of the room to make a cup of tea and didn't come back until two hours later.

Wimp. He's afraid of spiders, in case I haven't mentioned it to you before.

It's pretty obvious, isn't it?

There was a beautifully-shaped serpent candelabra on the long dining room table, and Mum considered keeping it because it was still in good shape. But Sirius outright refused to let her allow the candelabra to remain on wooden table. It was one of the first things to go into the rubbish sack.

Hundreds of framed photographs lined the walls and shelves in the dining room, and Sirius demanded that they all be thrown away. When I shattered the glass of a photograph of a heavily-lidded woman, she screeched at me loudly. Mum informed me that it was Bellatrix Lestrange, the convicted Death Eater who's in Azkaban with her husband, Rodolphus.

Once again, Kreacher tried to halt our cleaning plans by attempting to drag the rubbish sack from the room. Sirius caught him in time though, and ordered the house elf to leave. When Kreacher refused to move, Sirius grabbed him by the back of his dirty loincloth and bodily tossed him out into the hallway. Hermione looked close to shedding angry tears.

"You shouldn't treat him like that!" She had cried to Sirius. "Now he'll be upset with you!"

But Sirius wisely waved off Hermione's comments and went back to his work. I saw Hermione glaring at him as she brushed her hair out of her eyes.

We cleared out the cupboards and dusted the table off until I could see my reflection clearly in the shining wood. My arms are aching from scrubbing the walls. But I think we did a bloody good job.

I'm so tired that I can barely write here, but I must. I promise way back in June that I wouldn't miss a beat, so here I am, still writing.

And do you want to know what I just realized?

Tomorrow is my fourteenth birthday.

I feel a little, well, _stupid_ for forgetting that tomorrow's my birthday, but with everything from cleaning to the dementor attack…I guess it just slipped my mind, I suppose.

I wonder if I'll get any gifts tomorrow. From Hermione, I suppose, I'll get something, like a package of ink bottles or something like that. Fred and George? Hmm…maybe a sample of one of their new Skiving Snackboxes? Bill…I don't really know. And Harry? Ha. I didn't even consider him until now.

In fact, I'm not even sure if I want gifts this year. There's just too much going on.

Maybe everyone will forget that it's my birthday. What then? Do I mention to someone that I'm finally fourteen, or do I just let it slide and pretend that my birthday will never come? Do I…?

Okay, Ginny, just breathe.

No one's going to forget it's my birthday. Everything will go perfectly fine.

I hope.

Okay, off the subject of my birthday. Hermione's informed me that Harry's hearing at the Ministry is on the 12th, at 9 in the morning. She said that he hasn't really spoken about it, but it's pretty obvious that he's very nervous about the outcome of the hearing.

I mean, who wouldn't be nervous? The fate of your education at Hogwarts would be in the Wizengamot's hands? I would be positively shaking! But, then again, I am not Harry Potter, so I don't know how he's feeling right now, but I can just imagine that he's feeling very edgy at the moment, even if the hearing is two days away.

Oh, god. I can barely even keep my eyes open.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Guess what? My fever's gone!

Cheers to my reviewers. I love you guys so much! Let's make my review count 400, savvy?

Thanks to everyone who's read this chapter. I really hoped you enjoyed it. Expect a Puddlemere update in the coming days!

REVIEW!

-Rox


	43. August 11, 1995

August 11, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, it's official. I'm fourteen years old. But does anyone bother to wish me a happy birthday?

NO!

Okay. Hermione, Bill, Mum, and Dad wished me a happy birthday. And I got some pretty decent gifts, like color-change ink from Mione and a piece of goblin gold from Bill, but that's pretty much it.

I got down to the kitchen before anyone else this morning, just to see if anyone would remember if it was my birthday. Mum hugged me and almost started to cry, saying that her "little baby girl" was "all grown up". She told me she would get me a present as soon as all of this Order stuff is over with.

I honestly don't know why, but I felt a pang of anger at the fact that Harry didn't remember my birthday. I mean, I wasn't expecting him to even know that it is my birthday. I never even talk to him! So why was I upset?

Oh, this is all just too confusing. It's my BIRTHDAY! I should be out having fun. But no. I spent most of my day cleaning a bloody bathroom.

You know that old ghoul? The one that popped out of the toilet while I was taking a shower a while back?

Well, the old ghoul strikes again.

This time, it popped out on Tonks while she was using the toilet after lunch. You could hear her scream all through the house. She insisted that we get rid of the thing as soon as possible.

So Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Harry, Tonks, and I were all standing in the now-flooded second floor bathroom, waiting for the ghoul to pop out of the toilet.

When it did, Hermione screamed and jumped into the bathtub, Ron right behind her. Fred, George, and Tonks withdrew their wands and started aiming curse after curse at the ghoul, but it all went right through the thing and ended up scorching the walls. I was torn between screaming and laughing my bum off.

After nearly ten minutes of chasing the ghoul around the little bathroom, Tonks whipped her wand in the air and blue smoke emitted from the tip. The ghoul took one frightened look at the smoke and disappeared into thin air. The blue smoke rested over the bathroom for several moments, like battle fumes.

Mum came upstairs to see what was going on, and after seeing the mess that the ghoul made in the bathroom, she made us all (even Tonks) clean it up.

So that's basically how I spent my "big" birthday afternoon.

But, in more important news…I got a birthday present from Michael!

It just came about an hour ago via owl post, so I thought for a few hours that Michael had forgotten my birthday. Boy, was I wrong.

W-R-O-N-G Wrong!

Michael sent me this beautiful singing birthday card. Much to my surprise, when I opened it, the card started to play the Dream Lullaby! But it turns out that it really isn't called the Dream Lullaby.

Yes, ladies and gents! I have finally found the name of the music box song!

The song is named "Peaceful Valley", and I can totally understand why. I almost started crying when I read the name on the back of the card. Here's what Michael wrote inside, in his best handwriting:

To Ginny, on the occasion of your fourteenth birthday. 

A beautiful melody for an even more beautiful girl. 

Hope you're having a happy birthday, Gin. 

All my love, Michael 

Isn't that sweet? But that isn't the only thing he sent me. He also sent me a framed photograph of the two of us, taken on the Hogwarts Express before leaving for Kings Cross Station. I had almost forgotten about the picture being taken, but it's of Michael and I hugging each other in Hogsmeade station. I have it hidden underneath my pillow.

I let Hermione look at Michael's gifts. I was almost afraid that she would become jealous of me like she did a few weeks ago, but she laughed and said that I was extremely lucky to have such a caring boy in my life.

I had the strongest urge to tell her that she does have a caring boy in her life, and that caring boy is Ron. I know. It's hard to believe. But he really does care for Hermione in ways that I can't even describe. If only she knew…

Well, today has been a rather busy day. I feel like I haven't written enough, but this will just have to do.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Oh, I know. It's a short chapter. But I'm tired. And I think I'm getting my fever again.

Thank you to all of my reviewers. You guys mean the world to me. Keep on reviewing!

Puddlemere is going to have to wait a few days to update. I'm just so tired. My mom says that it's the after effects of my illness, but I feel like crap, so I don't even know what's going on anymore.

Tell me how I did with this chapter. No flames, please!

Review! Please?

-Rox


	44. August 12, 1995

August 12, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

The atmosphere in the house in so tense and anxious, I don't think I can stand another minute of it, much less the rest of the day. Or at least until Harry comes back from the Ministry, either bearing good news or bad.

Hopefully, he'll be able to tell us good news.

I'm sitting here in the kitchen, which is just about the only peaceful room in this entire house at the moment. Everywhere I turn, there are either screaming portraits, a muttering house elf, or people sharing their worries about Harry.

I just had breakfast, and when everyone retreated to other parts of the house, I just lagged behind. No one, not even Mum, seemed to notice, so no one's really been bothering me, which is a very good thing.

Harry and Dad left for the Ministry before everyone else woke up. Hermione was nearly reduced to tears when Mum told her this. She started whispering about how she never got to say "good luck" to Harry because she thought she would be seeing him this morning before the hearing. Ron was silent and didn't have anything to add to her argument.

I don't mean to sound self-absorbed or anything like that, but talk of the hearing is really started to annoy me. I mean, there are better things than worrying whether or not Harry Potter is going to be allowed to come back to school.

I know. That sounds awfully selfish, doesn't it? Please don't think of me that way. It's just…this entire summer has been stressful for me, from nightmares about Riddle to just being stuck in this house for two months. The added tension because of Harry is just a little too much for me to handle.

That just makes me think about how everyone else must feel right now. Hermione's probably crying, or close to crying at least. She did all of that research, so she's most likely running through all the reasons that Harry is innocent in her head.

Ron is probably trying to distract himself from all thoughts of his best friend being banished from Hogwarts. Maybe he's sidetracking those thoughts by cleaning his old chess set or something. He really isn't the kind of person to get all-emotional, so he probably isn't crying.

Probably.

I can't even imagine how Sirius is feeling right now. I mean, he's known Harry since he was born. He's Harry's godfather, for crying out loud! And if Harry really does get his wand snapped, he'll be on just about the same status as Sirius is at the moment: outlawed. I know that Sirius doesn't want to see his godson sentenced to a life filled of misery and despair.

Ugh. My head is starting to hurt. I'll write more later on, once Harry comes home from the Ministry.

I promise.

Later 

Oh my god! I am stuffed full of Mum's good food, and I'm so tired that I'll probably fall asleep while writing this! But it's been a very good afternoon.

A very good afternoon.

For startes, Harry was cleared of all charges! Yes, it's simply fantastic news, and I've never seen Hermione and Ron happier for their best friend.

Once Harry announced that he was cleared, Fred, George, and I started this war chant in the kitchen. It went "He got off, he got off, he got off". I must say, it was very amusing. But then Mum shouted at us to shut up, so we did. But I think she was too happy to really punish us or anything like that.

I overheard Harry telling Ron and Hermione that Dumbledore actually saved him at the hearing. He arrived and explained the decrees to the Minister of Magic.

That's right. A full court tried Harry, and not just Madam Amelia Bones like Mum said he would.

But the thing is, Harry told the other two, Dumbledore didn't even make eye contact with Harry, much less speak to him. He completely ignored Harry and swept from the courtroom before Harry could thank the headmaster from saving the entire hearing.

That's very odd. Very odd indeed. I always thought that Harry was Dumbledore's favorite student, so why would he ignore Harry during the hearing? Hmmm…

Mrs. Figg also testified on Harry's behalf, telling the court that she saw the dementors gliding towards Harry and his cousin Dudley. The Minister didn't believe him at first, but most of the other court members seemed to, so he was cleared of all charges and allowed to leave.

After Harry explained his escape, Mum served up the best meal I've eaten in ages, though all of Mum's food is simply superb. For the rest of the day, the mood in the house was airy and simply put, wonderful. Sirius even smiled for a few seconds when he heard the news about his godson.

I'm so tired right now. Michael's supposed to be writing a letter to me tonight, though, so I must stay up. But I don't think I can write anymore.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

I'm not feeling one-hundred percent at the moment, so I do hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'll explain my condition after my thank-you's.

I'd like to thank my lovely reviewers. I honestly can't describe how much you guys mean to me. Even those of you who don't review. Thanks for giving this story a chance, when I myself have considered abandoning it in my times of trouble.

Okay, on with my condition…

I have never felt worse in my entire life. I can't even type. In fact, my mother is typing this on my computer for me, so everyone better thank my mother in a review! Thanks, Mom!

I have a fever of 103, and if it spikes again, I'm going to the hospital. I've been throwing up all day, and I've had about a dozen dizzy spells in the past half hour. But I've been thinking about my precious readers all day long.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Please review!

-Rox

(and Roxy's mother)


	45. August 13, 1995

August 13, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Well, the hype surrounding Harry's narrow escape from the Ministry's clutches seems to have died down a bit. Fred, George, and I were just about ready to continue our "He got off, he got off, he got off" war chant during breakfast, but one look from Mum shut us all up.

Ah, well. It was fun while it lasted…

Everyone seems genuinely happy that Harry is going to be able to return to Hogwarts, but there's one person in particular that seems to be taking it the wrong way.

Sirius seemed very happy for Harry last night at the impromptu dinner party in the kitchen. But this morning, he didn't come downstairs for breakfast, and when he joined us all for lunch, he looked like he was in a very bad mood. He hardly spoke to anyone, and Fred later reported to us that Sirius had locked himself in his mother's room with Buckbeak.

Hermione shared her theory about Sirius with me. She reckons that Sirius was hoping that Harry wouldn't be able to go to Hogwarts, because then Harry have to come live with Sirius, and then they'd be outcasts of the wizarding world together.

I think Hermione's being a bit harsh. I mean, would you want to be stuck in a house all by yourself. I suppose Sirius jumped at the slight chance that Harry would be able to live with him. He was trying to get his own hopes up that his godson would be expelled.

But when Harry came home saying that he would be returning to Hogwarts, I guess Sirius was upset that he wouldn't have someone to keep him company for the rest of the year.

"Sirius has the rest of the Order to keep him company, so he won't be that lonely." Hermione had said to me after Mum sent us all upstairs after lunch. I suppose Professor Lupin will be staying on in the house, but he disappears often, doing mysterious work for the Order, so he isn't really around much.

I just hope Sirius jumps back from this foul mood. I must say, I like the happy, joking Sirius better than the surly, upset Sirius. I miss his cracks about Kreacher, and I miss the look Hermione gives him whenever he jokes about the house elf.

Hermione's been fidgeting all day long. She has a feeling that the Hogwarts book lists will be coming soon, and she's desperate to find out if she made Gryffindor Prefect or not.

I don't know how many times I've written this, but it's true. Hermione's bound to become a Prefect, so I don't know what she's so worried about. Fred and George have been offering their advice, but all they say is "Being a Prefect sucks the fun out of life."

Of course, Hermione totally disagrees with that statement, so she usually launches into a long monologue about Prefects, and Fred and George walk off without saying goodbye. I overheard them this morning, saying that Hermione's starting to sound like Percy.

First of all, Percy did talk about the importance of being a Prefect, but I would never even think of insulting Hermione by saying that she was starting to sound like Percy. That's just…utterly disgusting.

Michael seems very…persistent…about us meeting in Diagon Alley. He wants to know exactly why I can't go.

You don't know how much I want to tell him where I really am, but Mum's forbidden it. I mean, if Harry Potter wasn't even allowed to know, Michael Corner obviously isn't allowed to know.

I guess I'm just going to have to wait until term starts in a few weeks to see Michael. All I have is that picture of us on the train, and that picture of him on the Eiffel Tower. I miss him.

I miss him a lot.

I mean, those pictures were of him a few months ago. Michael could have changed so much, and I won't know until term starts. He could have gotten taller, or more attractive, or even less attractive (that's not even possible). I have no clue.

I have an idea.

I'll write to Michael and ask him to send me a recent picture of him. That way, I'll have a little accurate reminder of what he really looks like.

Sounds like a plan.

Brilliant.

-Ginny

* * *

I am so sorry about this short chapter. I'm feeling much better today, but my mom's not allowing me to strain myself too much, so that's all you're going to get today.

Thanks to all of my reviewers. I love you guys so much, there aren't even words to describe how grateful I am right now for you. Keep it up!

I'll give you some information on my updates and me:

My fever has gone down to 100.8, but it could spike at any time, so I'm not promising that I'll be healthy by tomorrow. I don't feel dizzy anymore, and I haven't thrown up since last night, so I guess that's a good thing.

Puddlemere Night Stand will be updated by Monday, I promise. I've got the next chapter finished. I've just got to tweak it a bit.

I'm also working on a little RHr one-shot, so expect that up, soon.

Please review!

-Rox


	46. August 14, 1995

August 14, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Today was rather interesting. It didn't involve a whole lot of cleaning, but it did, however, involve an old grandfather clock that spat bolts out at passing people.

It was me who discovered the grandfather clock. I was passing an open door on the third floor on my way to ask Bill if he had any extra parchment this morning when a cold, steel bolt shot out at me from seemingly nowhere. At first, I thought it was one of Fred and George's pranks, so I walked into the room and barely had enough time to duck before another bolt whizzed over my head.

I ran to get Mum, and soon, we had an army ready to attack the grandfather clock. Fred and George were deflecting the bolts with books, using their Beating skills from Quidditch. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I were holding the clock against the wall while Professor Lupin and Mum shot spell after spell into the clock. A bolt hit Professor Lupin square in the forehead, and I think he still has the mark from where it hit him.

It took nearly an hour to get the clock under control, and by that time, Sirius had joined the fight. After the clock had stopped spitting bolts out, he demanded that it be taken apart and thrown into a rubbish bag. He told us later that the clock had been spitting bolts since he was a young boy, and it was just one less thing in the way of "purifying" the house of all things Black.

There isn't much left to clean in the house. We tackled most of the rooms before Harry even arrived. He's lucky; he didn't have to deal with Kreacher always trying to rip things from your grasp all the time.

Not to mention that Harry didn't have a ghoul pop out of the toilet while he was taking a shower, but that's an entirely different story.

After the entire grandfather clock incident, I came upstairs to my room, only to find Hermione sitting on her bed. I thought she was going to be spending the day with Harry and Ron, as she had told me last night, but there she was, waiting, without a book in her hand or anything like that.

I don't know how it happened, but before I knew it, we were both sitting on my bed, deep in a discussion about everything that's been happening this summer: The Order, You-Know-Who, Percy, Michael…you name it, we talked about it.

It felt so…wonderful to talk to Hermione in such detail like we did. We haven't exactly been very close this summer, with everything that's been going on, but during those two hours that we just talked and talked, it seemed like everything faded away.

We were giggling by the time the subject of Michael came up. Hermione teased me gently about me having a boyfriend before she did, but I just brushed it off. I tried to fight the urge to tell her that she'll have Ron someday, but I just couldn't do it.

I told her.

"You'll have Ron sooner or later, Hermione. You mark my words." I told her. She blushed and told me that Ron doesn't like her as anything more than a friend. But when she tried to change the subject, I kept pressing on and on about Ron.

"He's jealous over Viktor Krum, can't you see?"

Hermione just rolled her eyes at me and continued the topic of Michael. I showed her the birthday card that he sent me, and she's started calling me "Gin", just like he did. She absolutely detests the nickname "Mione" so as long as she keeps calling me Gin…Mione it is.

Lunch in the kitchen was quick, because there's a small Order meeting going on. I shared my opinions of life at headquarters being boring with Hermione, and she totally agrees with me. You'd think that life around here would be more exciting, but no…it's "boring as hell", in the words of Ron.

Oh dear. I just heard a bang come from Fred and George's room. I think they're working on new products. I heard them whispering about "Canary Creams" during lunch. I'm not so sure if I want to know what these Canary Creams are, and I have a horrible feeling that one of us is going to end up being the first tester of Fred and George's new product.

God, I hope Mum calls us down to dinner soon. I'm starving. I have a feeling that Ron must be thinking the same thing as I am. He's always hungry, and yet he doesn't gain a pound. He must gain weight by growing another five inches for every pound. He's almost as tall as Bill now, did I mention that already?

Michael has yet to reply to my last letter. I asked him to send me a few recent pictures of him, but I haven't received a reply yet. Maybe he's trying to take the perfect pictures to send to me, and that's why it's taking so long.

Hermione told me that I sound a little desperate for Michael, and I guess she's partially right. But I haven't seen him all summer long, so I think I have the right to miss him a lot.

Yes! It's dinner time!

Good night,

-Ginny

* * *

Slightly longer chapter than last time. I hope everyone enjoyed it.

Cheers to my reviewers: **Kittyatza, Kat, and Harry's Kat.** You guys are great! Keep on reviewing!

I have received a rather nasty review from **Desiree K Troy** on one of my favorite stories, "I Love The Way". Just wanted to hi, Desiree, and thanks for the lovely little flame. Ha. As if.

Okay, on to happier news…

I AM COMPLETELY CURED!

My fever broke early this morning, and I was so happy that I nearly knocked my mom flat in a hug. I've been jumping up and down all day long, and my mom reckons I'll get sick again, but I don't really care. I AM SO HAPPY!

My mom went out and bought the Troy DVD, which I've been DYING to see for over a year. I have yet to see the entire movie, though, because my friend Jennifer called halfway through it and I had to put it on pause.

Orlando Bloom, Brad Pitt, and Eric Bana are so amazing in this movie! If you like Harry Potter, I think you'll like Troy.

Anyway, please tell me how I did with this chapter.

Review!

-Rox


	47. August 15, 1995

August 15, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I finally got a reply letter from Michael this morning, but it didn't contain any pictures. All he really said was "I can't wait to see you at Hogwarts" and things like that. That must mean that he hasn't changed since that picture on the Eiffel Tower. All right. I'm okay with that.

I'm dead tired right now. Mum's started up on the cleaning again. This time, we started tackling the fourth floor.

I don't really see the importance of that, since no one but Sirius and Professor Lupin ever go up there, but Mum wants the entire house to be spotless, and she's been on a bit of a warpath ever since she accidentally picked up one of Fred and George's trick wands last night, so I dared not contradict her.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione were sentenced to a bedroom down at the end of the hall, and Fred, George, and I were sent to a sitting room. Our job was to scrape mold from every surface of the room, but I honestly think that the twins and I got the easier room to clean. I nipped into the bedroom right before lunch to see how Hermione was faring, and she showed me a piece of mold that refused to come off of her index finger.

Poor Hermione. First copying pages and pages of Ministry laws, and now trying to get mold off of her fingers? What next?

Fred and George were once again conspiring together while we were cleaning the sitting room. I decided to try and tackle a sofa cushion with the special cleaning supplies that Mum dropped off for us. The twins were working on the nearby coffee table, and they were close enough that I could hear what they were speaking to each other about.

Fred reckons that the Canary Creams will be a big hit once they try and sell them at Hogwarts, but George thinks that the Canary Creams should be reserved for the joke shop only, because they're "too expensive to waste on the students, and we should wait for the joke shop".

Joke shop? I'm still very confused about this. As far as I'm concerned, Fred and George don't have enough money to even think about opening a joke shop.

Unless they're getting the money from a different source. That could be a possibility. But who? Who in their right mind would give Fred and George money for a joke shop, knowing that Mum will chop his or her head off with a butcher knife?

I have a hunch that it's Mundungus Fletcher. But I could be wrong.

Anyway, I held my tongue all through their discussion. They probably wouldn't have told me what they were really talking about, even if I asked. Those two are definitely planning something.

And I'm not entirely sure Mum is going to like it.

No, no. I'm certainly not going to tell Mum. It isn't a good thing to have Fred and George as your enemies, let me tell you that. Don't believe me? Go ask that complete prick known as Percy how it feels to be pranked on every single second of the day.

But of course, Percy deserves that, and so much more suffering a la Fred and George Weasley.

Mum let us have a break just after noon, and we had our usual lunch of sandwiches in the kitchen. Sirius didn't join us, and neither did Professor Lupin. It was just us Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione.

I'm starting to feel a little worried about Sirius and Harry. Hermione's been telling me that Harry feels guilty about making Sirius feel so horrible because he'll be going back to Hogwarts. Harry has no reason to feel guilty at all. But I can hardly blame Sirius for being so sullen about the whole ordeal. I certainly wouldn't want to be stuck in this house alone, that's for sure.

Anyway, after lunch, we went back to our mold-scraping duties. After Fred, George, and I had finished with most of the sitting room, we went to the aid of Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the bedroom. Ron started slacking off, and Fred and George made some remark about how he's never going to make prefect. He blushed and told them to sod off.

Once again the subject of prefects comes up between the Golden Trio. Hermione is still ever-doubtful of her actually becoming a prefect for Gryffindor, despite my many efforts to make her see that she was born to become a prefect in the first place.

I still don't know who's going to be the other prefect. It's typically a boy and a girl, so if Hermione gets the badge (which I'm sure she will), it's got to be a boy. But who?

I was thinking that Harry would be getting the badge, because that's the obvious choice, isn't it? He's the Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived, and I don't see why Dumbledore wouldn't make him a prefect.

So, in conclusion, it's clear that Harry and Hermione will be the next Gryffindor prefects.

That's a wonderful note to end on. I'm tired, like I said before, and I just want to take a quick nap before dinner's ready.

-Ginny

* * *

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Fred and George's Canary Creams all around!

Special thanks to my bloody fantastic reviewers: **Machiavelli Jr., Harry's Kat, prongsgurl202113, Kat, Jazipan, and steele-2006-294.** You guys are the best! Can't wait to read your next reviews. Love ya!

I really had fun writing this chapter. I jumped around between humor and seriousness, from Canary Creams to prefect duties.

Also, if anyone wants to know where I'm getting the exact dates for all the happenings in Book 5, please check out the **Harry Potter Lexicon's** day-by-day calendars, underneath the **Timelines** button on the main page. They're my main references for the story, so thanks to all the folks down at the HP Lexicon!

Tell me how I did with this chapter. Honestly, just tell me.

-Rox


	48. August 16, 1995

August 16, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Today would have been utterly boring had I not decided to pick up Hermione's Daily Prophet and read the advertisement section.

As much as it pains me to say that the Prophet was my main source of entertainment today, it's the truth. I probably would have just sat up in my room all day, talking to Hermione and trying to think of tactics to finally beat Ron at chess.

But no. I read the Daily Prophet instead. You're probably wondering why this is a cause for such excitement. It's actually a rather amusing story.

I was bored, as I have already mentioned, and I saw Hermione's newspaper lying on top of her bed. I snatched it and decided to read it, at loss for a better thing to spend my time on.

So there I was, flipping through the pages, laughing at the occasional horrible punchline. I finally came to the advertisement section, and I decided to see what kind of people were trying to sell their owls and spare ink bottles via the Daily Prophet.

You can imagine my surprise when I saw an advertisement for the following:

"Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes

**The best joke products that money can buy! **

**Skiving Snackboxes, Extendable Ears, Canary Creams, and more! **

Contact Fred & George for order forms

**Happy pranking!" **

****

I nearly choked. Fred and George? Running a mail-service joke shop through the Daily Prophet? At first I thought it was some kind of joke, but then it all pieced together…

Fred and George are using the fact that Mum and Dad don't read the Prophet anymore to their advantage. They ran the advertisement for their joke shop through the newspaper because they know that our parents are never going to find out about it!

It's clever, really, if you ask me. But I wonder…why hasn't Hermione noticed their advertisements yet? She usually combs the entire newspaper, trying to find bogus stories on Harry so she can report them to him.

Maybe she does know, but she doesn't want Fred and George to get in trouble, so that's why she isn't telling anyone about their joke shop. But that just sounds so un-Hermione-like, so that can't possibly be it. Perhaps she just doesn't read the advertisement section.

Thank the Lord she doesn't. Knowing Hermione, she would have told Mum and Dad the instant she read the advertisement.

I wanted to go and visit Fred and George and ask them more about their joke shop, but when I went to their bedroom, their door was firmly locked and they refused to let me in. I didn't want someone to overhear me speaking about the joke shop, so I didn't "leave a message", as Fred wanted me to do. I just turned right around and went back to my own room.

I reckon that Fred and George aren't going to be studying a whole lot for N.E.W.T.s once term starts. They're probably going to spend their entire seventh year thinking of new plans for their joke shop. I mean, they've got a mail order-service going on here…who says they can't get some property and open up a real shop?

They'd need money, of course, and they obviously have money. All the ingredients and supplies for their joke products are pretty darn expensive, from what I've been overhearing in their conversations these past few days.

I still can't figure out where the twins are getting all of this money from. I mean, they're getting profits from selling their products I suppose, but they've got to have so much more if they're really running a business.

So, the discovery of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes really spiced up my day, but that's just about the most exciting thing that happened to me today.

The rest of the day was slow, other than the fact that I thought I heard that old ghoul in the bathroom again. It was really Ron, singing some Quidditch song in the shower.

His voice doesn't exactly sound like an angel singing, let's just leave it at that, shall we?

I received another letter from Michael this afternoon. He said his usual "I miss you so much". It pains me to tell him that I won't be seeing him until term starts. But that's just the way life goes, I suppose.

Oh. Mum's calling everyone down for dinner.

I'll write more tomorrow, I promise.

-Ginny

* * *

Oh, dear. Was this one too short? I'm so sorry if it was, but I hope that everyone enjoyed it.

Cheers to my lovely reviewers: **Machiavelli Jr., Harry's Kat, Morei Sky, prongsgurl202113, AureliaSea13, Ronniekinzluvr, and wannabeweasley.** You guys are the best! Love ya!

I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. My mother is yelling at me (once again) about my room, so I have to go.

Please, please, PLEASE review! I'm ONE REVIEW AWAY FROM 400!

I'll give a cookie to the 400th reviewers….

-Rox


	49. August 17, 1995

August 17, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Yet another boring day in the life of Ginny Weasley, currently residing in the boring house of Black, located at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

I basically sat up in my bedroom all day, reading old books and listening to the Peaceful Valley song, so I had plenty of time to just think about a lot of things that have been pushed to the back of my mind. Things like the war against You-Know-Who.

It just hit me this morning out of no where, even though I've been aware of it for quite some time. There's a war going on out there. And you want to know the scary part?

More than half the world refuses to believe it.

I've been thinking about this problem for just about the entire day, and I've finally come to a conclusion. You-Know-Who probably planned this all along. He knew that the Ministry workers are fools and that they would never believe Dumbledore or Harry.

You-Know-Who is using the Ministry's ignorance to his advantage. He's probably gaining as much power as he possibly can while no one's watching. And who knows…maybe no one will ever even realize that he's truly out there, and that he's a threat to everyone.

I can't even imagine what will happen when the Ministry does decide to open their eyes and see that You-Know-Who is staring them right in the face. There will be mass hysteria and pandemonium, and You-Know-Who might see that as the perfect time to strike.

Oh my god. I'd better stop. I'm scaring myself horribly.

Anyway, I talked to Hermione for a few minutes about the war and things like that. She seems to be thinking the same things as I am, and she agrees that You-Know-Who is using this "quiet time" to gain even more power.

After that, she went to go visit with Ron and Harry, and she asked me if I wanted to come along. I decided not to, even though I was completely bored out of my mind. The idea wasn't exactly the thing that would "spice up" my day, so I passed on the offer and remained in the bedroom.

A few minutes later, I heard Ron screaming with triumph. He probably won another chess game. That selfish prat. I mean, it's bad enough that he wins every bloody game, but he doesn't have to brag about it all the time.

Hmmm. That was a distraction from my troubling thoughts. But I just can't seem to get them out my head. This entire day was filled with nothing but horrible thoughts of You-Know-Who…the war…everything…

Okay. I'm going to attempt to throw these thoughts from my mind. Here we go.

I might go and talk to Fred and George later on about Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, and where exactly they're getting their money from. I mean, I tested out a few of their products, so I think that I deserve to know who's backing them up financially.

I know that they didn't make all of the money themselves. Money doesn't just appear out of thin air. I'm becoming very curious about this entire ordeal…where exactly did the money come from? Did they steal it? Or did someone just hand the twins a sack of gold saying, "Here, take it, and make a fortune on your joke shop with it."

It's all too confusing, but things like this are just about the only exciting part of life at 12 Grimmauld Place. There isn't anything to do, except talking to Buckbeak or just doing your own thing in your room. And I can't even talk to Buckbeak anymore, because Sirius has taken to locking himself upstairs and not coming down for hours at a time.

Hermione says that Sirius is getting restless, and that it's the same thing that happened with Harry: it could be dangerous and end with horrible consequences.

I defended Sirius to Hermione. I asked her how she would like it if Dumbledore told her that he had to stay in a house for the rest of her life, and that the house would be the very same building that she hated?

Hermione went silent after that, and she started whispering to me about how Sirius is still upset that Harry won't be spending more time with him at 12 Grimmauld Place. I tuned her out after she said that. I just didn't want to listen to her rag on and on about Sirius and her "theories" about his actions and such.

So there you have it…the highlights of my boring, boring, and boring day.

God, I hope that things get a little bit more exciting around here. I don't think I can stand another bloody minute of it.

Oh. I'd better go. Mum's calling us down for dinner. Here's to hoping that Tonks is down there, waiting.

-Ginny

* * *

Oh my…I'm sorry for this short chapter. But I've been feeling icky today, and I don't want to risk getting sick again…so please, bear with me.

And my 400th reviewer is…

**Kat**!

**Kat**, you receive **two** cookies, and the rest of my reviewers, **Machiavelli, Jr., alex202, prongsgurl202113, and Harry's Kat**…you guys get a cookie as well! Thanks for helping me reach my goal.

I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter…I tried to mix it all into this entry, and I hope I did a good job.

Review, and maybe I'll be handing out more cookies tomorrow ;)

-Rox


	50. August 18, 1995

August 18, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Today wasn't as exciting as I would have liked it to be, but at least it got my mind off of things for a few hours. It was just one of those days where I had fun, no matter what was happening outside of my own little world.

Basically, Tonks stopped by for three hours, and she ended up spending all of that time with me.

Don't ask me how it happened. It just did. I can't explain it. It was like the thing with me and Hermione. Tonks and I were just sitting at the kitchen table, and before I knew it, and I started blabbing away about everything I've felt over these past few days.

But, of course, I was careful not to let anything about Fred and George slip out.

Tonks listened to me patiently and waited until I was finished to say anything. She told me she was surprised that "a young pretty girl such as yourself is worrying about all of these things without enjoying life."

I thanked her for listening to me, but just when I got up to go back upstairs, Tonks invited me to sit back down. "I want to know what's going on in your life." She told me. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

I told her all about Michael, and my frustrations at not being able to see him until term starts. Tonks nodded knowingly and said that she had a boyfriend she couldn't see during the summer when she was in her sixth year. I asked her how she survived, and she said that she didn't; she wrote to him constantly and sent him daily pictures of herself every single morning.

When I was talking with Tonks, I couldn't help but realize how similar she and Bill are. I mean, they look totally different from the outside, but on the inside, I think they're truly alike. I mean, both of them aren't afraid to go against the grain and be different, and neither of them let outside pressures bother them.

I was thinking…wouldn't Tonks and Bill make a great couple?

But then I remembered. Bill's with Fleur now. As for Tonks? I asked her if she fancied anyone at the moment, and she just sighed and said that she did have her eye on someone, but she wouldn't say who.

I'd be you a million Galleons that it's Bill. But, of course, I could be wrong.

Anyway, we talked together for a few hours, We talked about anything and everything we could think of, from the war right down to me guessing who Tonks fancies.

But Mum spoiled our fun at the exact moment I thought Tonks was going to tell me who she fancies. Mum came into the kitchen and told Tonks that Professor Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt were waiting for her outside in the hall. Tonks hugged my goodbye and said that we should do the "talking thing" more often.

Mum raised her eyebrows at the both of us before turning to the stove to start cooking lunch, but I could have sworn that I saw a little smile on her lips when I told her that Tonks was my friend.

Other than that my day was…boring. Yes, once again, my day was filled with meaningless conversations with Ron and Hermione. Harry doesn't even speak to me, but I'm perfectly okay with that. He's got other things to worry about at the moment.

I'm just so sick of this house. I'm sick of having to stay inside all the time.

I'm sick of everything. 

I probably sound like a whining child, but it's the truth. I'm stuck in this house until the end of the summer, with nothing to do except to hope that someone you know drops by. It's very tiring.

I don't like it when my life is predictable. Unpredictability in some aspects is what makes life fan-bloody-tastic. And so far this summer, with the exception of the dementor attack and things like that, every single day has been the same: wake up, clean, talk eat, write, go to sleep.

There isn't any variety to what I do on a daily basis. It's just like repeating the same cycle…over…and over…and over again. It's frustrating, you know?

Alas, you probably don't. But I don't really care. I'll just keep talking and talking and talking about my day, and you can listen, or at least just sit there…you can't talk. You're a journal.

Well, I'd better go. I'm tired.

-Ginny

* * *

I am SO sorry about this short chapter. I'm in a rush.

Thanks to: **prongsgurl202113, Kat, monketprobs, fatalgambler, and Jazipan. **

Please, please, review! Thank you for your patience!

-Rox


	51. August 19, 1995

August 19, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Today was a bit more exciting than the rest of the week has been. I'll start from the beginning, I suppose.

I woke up early this morning to the sound of someone frantically scratching a quill against a piece of parchment. Turns out that Hermione was researching the O.W.L.s in her Hogwarts, A History textbook, and she had been taking notes since midnight. Honestly, what that girl will do for education…

So, since I was already up, I decided to head down to the kitchen to see if I could help Mum with breakfast (she's been complaining for the past two weeks that she's the only one who cooks around here). I heard deep voices coming from inside the kitchen, so I lingered outside for a few moments so I could hear what was going on.

Oh, I know eavesdropping is wrong, but I was bored, and I wanted to spice things up a little bit, okay?

Anyway, I heard Kingsley Shackebolt telling Dad that Broderick Bode, an Unspeakable and member of the Order, has been asking odd questions about guard duty. "He's too eager to stay up all night guarding that door, Arthur, and that's what's worrying me." Kingsley said to Dad.

I didn't manage to pick up anything else because just then, Ron wandered down the staircase (asking if breakfast was ready yet). Mum hadn't even started cooking yet, so poor, hungry Ron had to wait.

I kept thinking about Bode all through breakfast. Why is he so eager to be on guard duty? I would think that he would be trying to avoid guard duty, unless he's like a seriously dedicated Order member with nothing better to do.

Anyway, it took all of my self-restraint to keep myself from telling the others about Bode. I don't know why I didn't want to speak of the problem to even Hermione, but I just didn't. I had this feeling that if I spilled the beans, everyone would be stressed, and we're in too far in the summer to become stressed. Term is about to start, for Merlin's sake!

After breakfast, we all retreated to our respective bedrooms, and this is where I spent the time away between breakfast and lunch by amusing myself with the newly-found Draco Malfoy pictures. Ah, those will never get old. Never.

It was during lunch when the fun started.

Mum asked Hermione to fetch her copy of the Daily Prophet so that she, Mum, could scan it for any "decent" news. I glanced over at Fred and George (who, by the way, don't know that I saw their advertisement in the newspaper). They were so pale that their identical freckles stood out against their skin. Fred looked like he was going to choke, so George spoke up first in a rather shaky voice.

"Mum, are you sure you want to read the newspaper? It's nothing but rubbish!" Said George. Mum shot him an edgy look.

The two of them argued shamelessly for five minutes until Hermione returned with her newspaper. Mum grabbed it before Fred or George could get their hands on it, and she slowly started to flick through the many pages. I could practically see the twins' hearts jumping out of their chests! I was just waiting…just waiting…for Mum to see the advertisement section…

"Mum, it's a spider!" One of the twins called out. Ron yelped and Mum spun around suddenly to see what was the matter. Fred reached out and grabbed the newspaper from Mum's grasp. I watched as he flicked to the advertisement section and tore out the page that had the ad about Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.

A few minutes later, calm was restored to the kitchen, and Mum totally forgot about the Daily Prophet.

Bloody lucky twins. They were so close to having their heads chopped off a la Molly Weasley. Dumb luck is what I call it. I don't think Ron will ever forgive them for making him freak over a spider in front of his precious Hermione. Hmmm…

Well, that just about wraps up the exciting portion of my day. After lunch, I came back upstairs, and I've been here ever since then. Hermione is still frantically flipping through her textbook, so I can't talk to her, and Mum told me that Tonks is busy at the Ministry, so she won't be stopping by either.

I honestly have nothing to do for the rest of the night, or at least until dinner is served. Maybe Mundungus Fletcher will stop by. It's always fun to hear his little stories about his illegal adventures, even though Mum detests his tales greatly. He's a hilarious dinner guest, no matter what Mum says.

Besides, Fred and George seem to like him. Great minds think alike…

I think it's Mum's worst fear that the twins will end up like old Dung. I think that she's afraid they'll turn out to be foolish criminals who do nothing but play jokes and steal things all day.

Personally, I don't think that the twins will go that far, but I do think that they have a pretty good shot at making it big in the joke shop business. They have some seriously impressive products and ideas. They can go far with what they've got, regardless of the low amount of O.W.L.s they scraped together last summer.

If only Fred and George knew that I saw their advertisement, and that I know about Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and the mail-order service. Do you think they'd share their profits with me?

It's worth a shot.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Ah, this is a slightly longer chapter, so I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed typing it.

Cheers to the following fantastic people: **prongsgurl202113, Machiavelli, Jr., Harry's Kat, steele-2006-294, Bel-Halliwel, and Morei Sky.** You guys are the best! Keep reviewing, and I'll keep updating!

I'm sorry if the content of the above chapter was a little off…I was up until six in the morning at a sleepover with my friend, Jennifer, and I'm dead tired…even though I can't even get to sleep. We ate packets of sugar for dinner last night and I think the stuff is still in my system. Ah, well.

Did you like this chapter? The story is coming to an end…it's so sad!

Please review! Cookies to everyone!

-Rox


	52. August 20, 1995

August 20, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

This has been a very trying day. I'm too tired to even be bored at the moment. The hours have never gone by so slowly. I'll start from the beginning, I suppose.

I woke early again this morning, hoping to sneak down into the hallway and see if I could overhear anything else in the kitchen. I was right; about seven Order members were huddled in the kitchen by the time I got there. They were all talking about Broderick Bode again, and this time, I've got more information.

Apparently, Dumbledore denied Bode's request to do over-time guard duty, and he's been placed under suspicion within the Order of the Phoenix. Bode is furious with Dumbledore's decision, and he's been threatening to leave the Order forever for the past three days.

Kingsley Shacklebolt told everyone that he'll try and keep a closer eye on Bode, since he works at the Ministry of Magic as well, but that he can't promise anything. A few seconds after he spoke, Dad walked out of the kitchen looking worried, and I had to act like I had just gotten there.

Dad kissed me goodbye before he Disapparated for work, and he looked happy for a few seconds, but I know that he's deeply troubled by the recent news of Bode.

Broderick Bode is just becoming more and more suspicious every single day. I've never met the man in my entire life, but already, he sounds like someone who can't be trusted. I'm glad that Dumbledore didn't let him do over-time guard duty.

Anyway, breakfast was quiet. Mum was in the group of people who heard about Bode, and she was stiff and stony while serving everyone the food. No one asked her what was wrong, though I heard Ron and George whispering to each other about whether or not Percy had done something to upset Mum.

After breakfast, we all went upstairs, as usual. Hermione and I talked for a few moments about what was bothering Mum. I told her that I had overheard that a member of the Order was under suspicion, but I didn't tell her that it was Bode or exactly why he's suspicious. I don't know why, but I just didn't want to cause anybody any stress; and I didn't want anyone else to know that I had been eavesdropping.

After a rather uneventful lunch, I got bored with talking to Hermione about her upcoming O.W.L.s, so I told her that I was going to the kitchen to get something to drink and left. Upon approaching the kitchen, I stopped to see if I could eavesdrop on anything (Yeah, it's wrong, but I was bored)

There was no one in the kitchen, so I entered the room and started to make myself a cup of tea. When I turned around to set the mug on the table, I noticed that there was a piece of parchment at the end of the table. I picked it up and started to read it.

At the very top it said "Dear Percy,". At the very bottom it said "Love, Mum".

Nothing in between.

I left the kitchen without getting anything to drink and I ignored Hermione's pointed looks once I got up to the bedroom. I sat on my bed, my heart pounding, just staring off into space.

Mum is still writing to Percy. I can't believe this rubbish! He's the one who made her cry practically every week so far this summer, and she turns around and keeps on writing to him, even after that Howler! I wonder which owl she's using…didn't Percy say that he'd have our owls confiscated if he kept getting letters from us? Ha. As if I'd believe that little…

I'm not trying to disrespect my mother at all. I love her more than anything right now. I guess she's just trying to get our family back together again, before the war starts to get full-blown, with people dying almost every day. It hasn't gotten that bad yet, but I have a feeling that it's about to get worse.

I haven't thought about Percy a lot since the week after we all arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place. It's still shocking to me that he would just abandon our family like that, going against Dumbledore's word. Wasn't it Percy who had idolized Dumbledore when he, Percy, was made Head Boy in my second year? How can he just think that Dumbledore and Harry are lying?

Now I know why I stopped thinking about Percy. It just gets me so mad. The rest of my brothers must be even more angry with Percy than I am. But I'm not going to let Percy ruin my summer, and that's that.

Oh, god. I'm yawning every five seconds over here. Hermione's still researching the O.W.L.s. It isn't really that complicated, right? I mean, you study, you take exams, and you either pass or fail. What else is there to find out about them?

About dinner: nothing really special. Tonks wasn't here (again) so Hermione and I ate in silence. Mundungus wasn't there either, so I suppose Fred and George weren't too happy about that.

I'm so tired that I think I'm going to slump over this journal, fast asleep. I'd better go.

-Ginny

* * *

Okay, this is one of my longer chapters, so I hope everyone enjoyed it!

Cheers to my reviewers: **Kat, Machiavelli, Jr., Morei Sky, prongsgurl202113, and Harry's Kat.** Thanks so much for reviewing! 3 Lots of love 3

I tried to mix up the seriousness and the humor in this entry, but I don't think I did a very good job :( I'm a little stressed lately, with my dad still unemployed and school starting up and everything.

Do you want to know what would REALLY make my summer worth all of the hours of brainstorming for this story?

I'm aiming for **600** reviews by the time this story is complete. But, that does NOT mean go back and review every single chapter. Just review when you want to. Tell some people about this story. Recommend it if you really love it.

Now, please review!

-Rox


	53. August 21, 1995

August 21, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I haven't heard anything new about Broderick Bode. In fact, I haven't even heard the words "Order of the Phoenix" for the entire day. It's quite a relief, actually. There isn't anything to worry about.

I guess I should say my day was quite boring, since there really was nothing to worry about, and there was nothing to think about for a long period of time.

Hermione's finally given up on researching every last detail about the O.W.L.s. She says that she wants to enjoy the last week or so of her summer holiday. I reminded her that that means she can't constantly worry about exams and such for the rest of the summer.

Hermione seemed a bit apprehensive about it, so while she was in the bathroom this morning before breakfast, I hid her Hogwarts, A History textbook underneath my bed so that she couldn't find it.

Oh, don't worry. I fully intend to return it to her on the last day of summer holiday. That way, she'll vent all of her frustrations to Ron and Harry, since we're in different years and we don't usually get to spend a lot of time together during the Hogwarts term.

Breakfast was rather uneventful, except for another dynamic save made by Fred and George. Mum wanted to read the Daily Prophet again (I think she was trying to see if there was any information on Bode, but I'm not too sure) and Fred and George managed to sway her from her decision. They reminded her about the loads of dung that the writers are saying about Dumbledore, and that reading the newspaper would only be a bad thing.

The twins have been quite lucky with keeping their joke shop a complete secret. They still don't know that I know, and I'm not entirely sure when I'll tell them that I read their advertisement in the newspaper. Maybe I'll never tell them. Maybe I'll just wait around until someone else finds out, and then I'll stand up and tell them.

But would that be cowardly, to wait for someone else to make the first move and then make your own? The twins will have wondered when I saw the advertisement in the first place…if I tell them, that is…which I will, eventually…maybe…

I'm confusing myself here, so I'm probably confusing you as well. The bottom line: when the time is right, I will speak up and ask the twins where they are getting the money to run their joke shop business smoothly.

Nothing really happened after breakfast. I repeat: my day was relatively boring, so don't expect me to write about some spectacular event today. Maybe tomorrow something exciting will happen…and if not, then maybe the day after that. Or that day after that, and so and so on.

Lunch…eh. Same old, same old. Had a turkey sandwich, a glass of milk, and some pretzels. Wow. I must really be bored. I'm telling you exactly what I ate for lunch. Please, God, please, let something exciting happen to me before the end of the summer!

Okay. Enough of wallowing in my own self-pity. I've got plenty of things to talk about, so here I go.

I received a lengthy letter from Michael just before dinner was served. I didn't have enough time to read it through, so I tucked it into the back pocket of my jeans and went into the kitchen for dinner.

I thought that no one was watching me, so I whipped it out right before dessert and started reading it. I got through the first two paragraphs, and then Bill, who was sitting to my right, tapped me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear, "If you don't want Michael to be slaughtered when term starts, I suggest you put the letter away."

At first I was confused, and I looked around. Sure enough, Ron was giving me and the letter odd looks. He elbowed Harry, who looked up suddenly from his plate and turned around to stare at me as well. I shot them both a look before folding the letter up again and stuffing it back in my pocket. Ron and Harry went back to their dinner, and I hoped that my face wasn't blushing the famous Weasley red color.

My brothers are bound to find out about Michael sooner or later. I mean, I've been wearing my ruby necklace around the house for days and days. I think that I'm just waiting for one of them to notice. I could use with some entertainment these days. But then again, if they find out about Michael, then I probably won't have a boyfriend by the second week of school. Hmmm…

Anyway, Tonks wasn't at dinner. Again. After everyone had left the kitchen, I asked Mum where she was, and Mum told me that she couldn't tell me where Tonks was. Either Mum has no idea where she is, or Tonks is on a secret mission for the Order.

I do hope she comes back soon. I enjoy my colorful conversations with her. She seems to have so much advice for me, and I miss her bright personality.

Not to mention, dinner is always more entertaining with her around to do impressions of the people she's had to deal with while sorting out odd cases at the Auror office.

Also, I'm secretly hoping that Mundungus stops by for dinner tomorrow. I don't know why, though. He always smells of smoke, and he can never string two words together after a few bottles of Butterbeer. Perhaps it's his funny stories that make him so appealing.

Once again, I am yawning every ten seconds, and Hermione is showing signs of wanting to talk about the O.W.L.s. I need my rest while I can get it.

Good night, dear journal.

-Ginny

* * *

Oh, it's a longer chapter, hooray!

Cheers to my bloody fantastic reviewers: **Kat, Harry's Kat, Alex202, and prongsgurl202113**. Thanks for the reviews, you guys! Lots of love from Rox!

Wow. I've got a lot to say. It's really got nothing to do with Harry Potter, but since it's my author's note, I can say whatever I want. Get it? Got it? Good!

Okay, okay. I'm not that mean. But I seriously need to tell you a lot of important things.

I am going on vacation this week, to Seaside Heights, New Jersey, with my entire family. I will be gone for a total of three days and two nights. On the third day, I will return at noon, just in time to type a new entry.

Anyway, I'll be posting multiple entries on the same day in the coming week. So you've got plenty to review!

Also, I feel that I have been neglecting Puddlemere Night Stand lately. I haven't updated in two weeks. But I promise you, by Saturday, you will have the fourth chapter to review. I'm sorry about the delays…I've been so freaking busy, it's not even funny anymore.

Okay. You guys know the drill. Tell me how I did. Tell me anything. Help me reach my goal of 600 reviews!

-Rox


	54. August 22, 1995

August 22, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Today has been a rather confusing day. No, no, no, it wasn't boring in the slightest. It was full of activity for once, but much confusion resulted from it. I'll start from the beginning, shall I? I have much to tell you.

The day started out normally enough. I woke early and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast. Hermione and I managed to eat our fill of Mum's delicious food before the boys finally came downstairs, weak-looking and bleary-eyed. Ron rudely asked why us girls got to eat our food first, but he was silenced with one look from Mum.

Not to mention she whacked him lightly on the back of the head with her wand. That was actually quite amusing. Moving on to more important points…

After breakfast, I was just lounging at the top of the staircase, gazing off into space and feeling a bored spell in the air. I heard someone walking through the hallway, and the instant I saw spiked pink hair and a Weird Sisters T-shirt, I nearly tumbled down the staircase.

It was Tonks!

I must admit, I got excited. I had so much to tell her; everything from Michael to hiding Hermione's textbook. I rushed into the kitchen and patiently waited while Tonks finished a conversation with Mum. She sat down at the table, turned to me, and smiled. I took that as my cue to start talking.

We talked together for just under two hours, sipping tea and spilling everything about these past few days. I asked her if she thought Hermione would ever want to join us in our conversation, and Tonks said this:

"Ah, Hermione, she's one smart girl. But she's got to learn to live and let live, and that there's more to life than great grades. I don't think she'll be joining us any time soon."

I told Tonks about my plan to get Hermione off of researching textbooks constantly. I said that I had one of her favorite textbooks hidden underneath my bed, so she'll never be able to find it. Tonks laughed and told me it was a good idea, and that it should work.

After our little chat, Tonks informed me that she had to get back to the Auror headquarters. She's supposed to give a briefing on some huge case today. I wished her good luck, and she hugged me goodbye and went off into the hallway. Mum came in a few seconds later and cleared away our tea mugs.

Here's where we get to the exciting part. Well, somewhat exciting:

It was lunchtime, and the twins still hadn't come down yet. Mum sent me upstairs to go and fetch them, unless she would just give their portions of food to the rest of us. I trekked to the third floor and was fully prepared to open their bedroom door when I heard them speaking in hushed voices. I stopped outside the door to listen in.

George expressed his worries about Mum and the Daily Prophet. "She's bound to read it!" He said. "And what if someone else has already read it?"

Fred asked who else got the newspaper in the house, and George simply replied, "Hermione." They went silent for a few moments. I was almost sure that they could hear my breath.

"Let's just see how long we can hold out." Fred said stiffly. I saw George shaking his head through the crack in the door.

"And what if someone else finds out?" George countered. "Ginny, she's a clever one. She's bound to figure it out sooner or later."

I felt my cheeks grow hot at the moment, though I felt an upsurge of affection for the twins. I listened for a few moments more, but all I got out of it is that Fred and George aren't going to tell anyone about their joke shop…yet.

I'm glad that at least two of my brothers think of me as clever. I know that Bill likes me, but he's never actually expressed it in words. Charlie…well, I never really talk to him. He's always in Romania. Ron still sees me as a little girl with a silly schoolgirl crush on his best mate, and Percy? Ugh. Don't even get me started on that pompous git!

Anyway, I barged into the twins room, told them that lunch was ready, and bolted out of there as fast as I could. I didn't want to tell them that I know…but I think I'll be able to tell them by the end of the summer.

After lunch, Hermione and I went to our bedroom. I sat down on my bed, and it took me a few seconds to realize that Hermione was frantically looking for something. I surveyed her intently as she shuffled through the parchment on the desk in the corner of the room. She lifted up her pillows and let out a little whimper. I could barely suppress a laugh.

"Ginny, have you seen my Hogwarts, A History?" She asked me with a whining tone to her voice. I shook my head, but kept my mouth closed. I was almost sure that I would burst out laughing if I tried to speak.

I watched in amused dismay as Hermione continued to tear the room apart in search of her beloved textbook, but she didn't even check on my side of the room. It pained me to think how much she trusted me. I had to grip the edge of my bed as I watched. It was all I could do, because I was on the verge of reaching underneath my bed and handing her the damn textbook.

I'm hoping that without any schoolwork to do, Hermione will realize that Ron truly does like her much more than just a best friend. Hopefully, my little plan will work. But perhaps Hermione will do something drastic if she doesn't get her textbook back before the end of the summer.

Oh my.

Hmm. Dinner's ready. I'll write more tomorrow, I promise!

-Ginny

* * *

Hooray! Another longer chapter! Hope everyone enjoyed it!

Special thanks to: **Machiavelli, Jr., Kat, Alex202, LittleWriterGirl, Morei Sky, prongs-gurl202113, harryz babi, and Darache** for reviewing. Thanks so much you guys! Lots of love!

My vacation is coming up! I'm so excited, but don't worry, I haven't forgotten my beloved reviewers. I'll be posting the next entries in a day or two.

You know the drill. Please review! It means the world to me. Even if it's just a "cool story update soon", I still get excited.

-Rox 3


	55. August 23, 1995

August 23, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I've spent most of the day on the second floor, either in my bedroom or just roaming about, seeing as there really isn't anything to do downstairs besides sitting around and doing nothing, and I thought, hey, why not do it in the privacy of my own room? So here I am, dear journal, here I am.

Fred and George have taken some very drastic measures in order to keep Mum from finding out about their advertisements in the Daily Prophet. They've confronted Hermione about her allegiance to the Order, even though she isn't a legal member.

"By reading all of that rubbish about Dumbledore, you're technically betraying him!" I overheard Fred telling Hermione this morning during breakfast. George just nodded all through Fred's little speech. Hermione looked unconvinced, but she promised them that she wouldn't be reading the newspaper anymore.

Yet, I saw Hermione taking a peak at the front page of the Prophet just before lunch. She's gone back on her word, but who honestly keeps a promise they've made to Fred and George? Personally, they've got no right to keep people from reading a newspaper, but they're being very clever in their ways to disguise their joke shop.

Besides, from what I can see, Hermione hasn't even noticed the advertisements. And if she has, she certainly hasn't breathed a word. Do the twins honestly expect a big thing such as a joke shop to be kept under wraps for so long? I suppose some of the students at Hogwarts will have seen the advertisements. What happens when word of the Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes spreads like wildfire through the school?

Well, I suppose that Fred and George will take care of it. If things stay quiet right up until they graduate, they can just open up a real joke shop and pretend that it just happened, though I don't think Mum will really believe them. But she can't exactly punish them if they've hit a gold mine with their joke products, now can she?

Anyway, I heard Mum and Dad talking this morning before breakfast. They were speaking about the O.W.L.s, and how they hope that Ron will be able to scrape together more than the twins got on their exams. They talked about me, too, but Dad told Mum not to worry about my exams just yet, seeing as they're more than a year away.

Don't tell anyone, but I think that Ron has the capability of getting more O.W.L.s then Fred and George got. The twins weren't really paying attention, and besides, Ron's got Hermione on his side. She'll make sure that he studies when he's supposed to, and she'll make sure that he, as well as Harry, passes his exams. I'm sure of it.

I haven't really done anything exciting today. I visited Buckbeak, and I'm glad to say that Sirius is once again roaming the house. He seems a bit more cheerful that before, but I can still see that glum look written all over his face. He's worried that he'll be lonely once all of us leave for Hogwarts and Mum and Dad go back to the Burrow. But he'll have Harry writing to him constantly, I suppose, so he won't get too depressed.

Hermione's returned to her normal self again! And yes, it's because…I gave her back her textbook. Oh, I know, I know. It was all part of my plan, but I just couldn't bear to see my best friend going crazy over not being able to find Hogwarts, A History.

When she slipped out after lunch to talk with Ron and Harry, I grabbed the textbook from underneath my bed. I tried to find a place where I could put it, so Hermione could find it by herself. So, in the end, I decided to lean it against the side of the desk, where she usually studies, does her research, and things like that.

Hermione found the textbook on her own about ten minutes after she returned from Ron and Harry's room. She got so excited about having her book back. I couldn't help but smile. She asked me if I had even noticed that it had been there all along, and I shook my head and told her that she had probably just overlooked out, or that perhaps it had fallen of off the desk when she wasn't looking. Hermione just shrugged and eagerly flicked through the pages.

I must admit, I think I like Hermione better when she's got all of her textbooks in the right places. She's much more cheerful than she is without them. I guess it's just who she is, and I can't change it. At least I gave my plan a try. It might have worked, but I guess I'll never know. Moving on…

I received a letter from Michael just a few hours ago. He talked all about his little brother, Dylan, who will be starting at Hogwarts in two years. Michael says that his little brother wants to go to Hogwarts this year, but he isn't old enough yet. I'm imagining what Dylan looks like in my mind, and I'm picturing a nine-year-old version of Michael. How sweet.

Michael also wrote about how his parents have renewed their daily subscription to the Daily Prophet. "They miss reading the newspaper." He wrote. I'm a little worried about this, but I'm not really sure why. What if Mr. and Mrs. Corner actually start to believe all the rumors about Dumbledore and Harry? Will Michael be allowed to return to Hogwarts?

I suppose everything will work out in the end.

Tonks stopped by for dinner this evening, and I was so excited. She did more impressions using her morphing powers. She did a rather funny impression of Kingsley Shacklebolt, and even Kingsley himself laughed along with the rest of us. It was one of the best meals I've ever had.

Anyhow, I'm dead tired at the moment, even though I didn't really do anything exciting, as I mentioned before. I guess it's because I've been laughing and talking so much lately.

I'll write more tomorrow.

-Ginny

* * *

Longer chapter! Woot woot!

Anyway, by the time most of you read this, I'll be on my way to Seaside Heights, New Jersey. I'll be sure to thank each and every one of my reviewers once I get back.

Keep reading…there are two more chapters that await you! But don't forget to review this one first!

-Rox


	56. August 24, 1995

August 24, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Today wasn't a great day, but it wasn't exactly a bad day, either. It was in the middle of those two feelings. Sort of. I'm confusing myself here, so I know I must be confusing you. I'll start from the beginning of my day, and let's see how it goes from there, okay?

I woke up much earlier than usual this morning because an owl was angrily pecking at my window. Hermione was still asleep, seeing as it was only three in the morning, so I sleepily went up to the window and let the owl it. I untied the letter from its leg, and it soared out the open window again with a satisfied hoot.

It was a letter from Michael. At first, I was excited about reading another letter from him, but then I realized something. It was much too early for Michael to be writing a letter filled to the brim with good news. I figured it was something urgent, so I ripped open the envelope rather noisily, forgetting that Hermione was still in the room, fast asleep.

Even though I read through the letter at top-speed, the impact of Michael's words was still loud and strong. The reason that he wrote to me so early as this: his parents where having an argument over whether or not to send Michael back to Hogwarts.

Michael hurriedly explained to me the rest. Apparently, his father believed all of the horrible rumors about Dumbledore and Harry, and he wants to keep Michael home from Hogwarts this year. His mother, obviously, thinks that the Daily Prophet is nothing but rubbish, and she wants Michael to return to Hogwarts. They were having a full-blown argument that woke up the entire house, Michael said, and he figured that I would want to know whether or not he was coming back to Hogwarts at the start of term.

When I looked up from the letter, I noticed Hermione staring at me with bleary eyes. Without saying a word, I tossed the letter at her and watched as she read the entire thing through. She looked at me with wide eyes, but she didn't say anything at first. I flopped back down on my bed, closed my own eyes, and felt the incredible urge to cry.

Hermione got to me talk a few minutes later, so there we were, at half past three in the morning, discussing my boyfriend's future education. Hermione reassured me that Michael would be able to come back to Hogwarts, that his mother will win the argument, but I'm not entirely convinced, and it's been hours since that conversation.

All day long, thoughts of my returning to Hogwarts without seeing Michael there ran through my brain. Mum thought I was becoming ill when I didn't reply to her questions at breakfast or lunch. She sent me upstairs to my room to get some sleep after dinner was served, and I've been here ever since.

I've had a lot of time to think, and I've been wondering what's going to happen if Michael ends up staying home from Hogwarts this term. I've been wanting to see him all summer long…what will I do if I can't even see him at school? I must sound like a pathetic little girl whining after her boyfriend, but I haven't seen him all summer, and if he isn't allowed to come back to Hogwarts…

Ugh. I don't even want to think about that. I'm going to try and get off of the subject of Michael now. Here we go…

Tonks stopped by for dinner again. She did her usual impressions for Hermione and I, but it seemed that she was constantly talking to Professor Lupin in between mouthfuls of the delicious feast Mum made for everyone. I couldn't quite make out exactly what they were speaking to each other about. They kept using code words, like "cigarettes", those stick things that Muggles smoke. Dad was telling me about those the other day…I wonder what they stood for in Tonks and Professor Lupin's conversation…

I wish I could talk to Bill right now. I haven't really talked to him in what seems like ages. But no, he's out on another date with Fleur. Oh, no. It's not a date. It's an "English lesson". Ha. As if anyone's going to believe them. Fred and George are already suspicious of Bill and Fleur, and it's only a matter of time before the news of the two going out will be spread through the entire household.

I suppose Mum will be happy, though. She's been wanting for Bill to settle down for ages. That, and she wants him to finally cut his hair. I bet she'll be hoping that Fleur will want to give his hair a trim. That will be the day when Bill lets someone cut his hair.

You know what, I think I'm going to take Mum's advice and take a little nap before actually going to sleep for the night. My mind is racing so fast, not even the Peaceful Valley melody can calm my thoughts. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day. I sure hope so.

In short, I couldn't really focus on anything that happened to me today. All I seemed to think about was Michael, which sounds weak in itself. But it's because of him that I have so many friends in Ravenclaw, like the semi-odd Luna Lovegood. But I'll explain more about her tomorrow. Hermione's showing signs of wanting to talk about Michael, and I'm not sure I'm up for that just yet.

Good night, dear journal. Here's to hoping for a better day,

-Ginny

* * *

Keep going…you have another chapter ahead of you. Don't forget to review this one first!

-Rox


	57. August 25, 1995

August 25, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Today was slightly better than yesterday. The keyword of the last sentence would be slightly. I still haven't heard a word from Michael, and I strongly suspect that his parents are still fighting over whether or not they should send their son back to Hogwarts. I've been trying to block these thoughts out of my head for the entire day, so you probably won't see me mentioning Michael for the rest of the entry.

Hermione's done her best to try and cheer me up. She spent practically the entire day with me, and she hasn't even looked at her textbooks all day. I even told her that it was all right if she wanted to read Hogwarts, A History rather than hang out with me, but she chose me over a textbook. And with Hermione Granger, that's saying something.

Fred and George made another narrow save against Mum and the Daily Prophet this morning. Mum got distracted with a boiling pot on the stove right before she was going to pick the newspaper up off of the table. George made a grab for it and hid it underneath the table, and by the time the boiling pot was all sorted out, Mum had completely forgotten about the newspaper and had gone to her next task of clearing away the breakfast plates.

I was very tempted to tell Hermione about the twins' advertisement in the Prophet, but then I thought through the consequences. Even though I trust Hermione more than I trust anyone else, I just couldn't bring myself to tell her. Does that make me sound like a bad friend? I suppose it does, but I really don't want to get on Fred and George's bad side, now that they have all sorts of joke products that they could "test" on me at any moment.

The rest of the morning was peaceful and uneventful, save for a few Mrs. Black outburst as a few Order members came into the house to speak hurriedly with Mum, Dad, Professor Lupin, and Sirius. I was half-expecting to see Kreacher rambling down the halls, seeing as I saw Sirius showing Kingsley Shacklebolt an old amulet with the Black family crest on the front.

Speaking of Kreacher, I haven't seen that wretched house elf in a few days. Hermione is starting to worry. She wonders if Kreacher left the house, and if he did, there's no way of knowing if he would tell anyone about Sirius or the Order of the Phoenix. I assured Hermione that only Dumbledore could possibly tell anyone about the Order, seeing as he's the Secret Keeper, but Hermione didn't seem convinced.

It's a lot quieter around here without a house elf walking around, insulting anyone he sees and grabbing as many Black family relics as he possibly can. Personally, I hope that I never see the little monster again, but I'm starting to worry…did he really leave the house? Or is he just hiding? Perhaps he got stuck up in the attic or something.

I think I'm worrying myself over a pointless little thing. I'm sure Kreacher will turn up sooner or later. Besides, house elves aren't allowed to leave the house without permission, and I'm positive that Sirius would never let Kreacher leave 12 Grimmauld Place, so what's the point of worrying?

Hermione and I visited Buckbeak after we both had our lunch. Sirius was there as well, and he seemed a whole lot happier than he has been it days. Maybe it's because he doesn't have to see Kreacher rambling on and on every single day.

Anyway, Hermione asked Sirius if he had seen the house elf at all, and Sirius laughed and told her no. She looked very worried, and Sirius reassured her in the same manner as I had. She just kept shaking her head, and she still looked worried, even after we left the room to return to our own.

And, yes, to answer your questions, she is still going on about S.P.E.W. It's been ages since she first found out that house elves cook the meals at Hogwarts, and I'm sure that she knows that house elves are happy to serve wizards whenever they can. So why can't she just live and let live, just like Tonks said that Hermione should do?

After we visited Buckbeak, Hermione and I talked about what we would like to do after Hogwarts. I mentioned that I might like to be a Healer, but there's a very slight chance of that ever happening. Hermione hasn't made up her mind yet. She's waiting until after her exams are finished to make a firm decision about where she wants to take her career.

I kindly mentioned to Hermione that she could practically be anything she wanted to be. She could get an O.W.L. in every single class if she set her mind to it. She just shook her head and said that there were many occupations where brains and O.W.L. exam results didn't matter as much as the job itself. I shrugged and reminded her that she was the brightest witch in her year. She smiled sheepishly and changed the subject hurriedly.

We started talking about prefect badges. Hermione said that the Hogwarts letters should be arriving in the next few days, and that she can hardly wait to see if she made it as a Gryffindor prefect. I told her that she was bound to be chosen as one, "seeing as you are the brightest witch in your year!" She asked me who I thought would be the other prefect, and I confided in her that I think it's going to be Harry. Hermione nodded and agreed with me.

Dinner was rather boring. Tonks wasn't there. I tried asking Mum where Tonks was, but Mum just shook her head and said that she wasn't allowed to tell me. I tried begging over and over again, but I still received the same answer: "I can't tell you, Ginny, now go!"

I think I'd better stop here. Nothing else really happened today. Oh, wait! I almost forgot! Fred told me that Bill got home late from his little "English lesson" with Fleur! Hmm…I wonder what that means…

I'd better go. I'll write more tomorrow, I promise!

-Ginny

* * *

Oh, there you go! Three chapters in one day! Aren't you lucky?

I'll thank every single one of my reviewers as soon as I get back from Seaside Heights. Until then, I hope you enjoyed these chapters.

Don't forget to review! I expect to see plenty of messages in my Hotmail inbox when I get home from the beach!

-Rox


	58. August 26, 1995

August 26, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Still no word from Michael. I woke early this morning, hoping that Michael's owl would be waiting for me on my windowsill with a letter stating that yes, I would be seeing my boyfriend come the first of September. I'm becoming rather worried. He's never gone longer than a day without writing me.

Well, there was that one time, when Michael went to France with his family. But even then, he tried to write me every few days, and his letters were long and filled to the brim with detail. That got me through the days between each letter, but there is nothing but worries to sustain me until Michael's next letter. I hope he writes soon. I can tell that Hermione is getting tired of hearing about Michael.

Okay, on with the rest of my day, which was rather eventful, if I do say so myself.

Breakfast was filled with Fred and George badgering Bill about his little date with Fleur. He still tells everyone that he's just teaching her how to speak fluent English, and that there's nothing more between him and the veela. But how long does it take for him to teach her how to say, "Here is your gold."? Mum doesn't seem to mind at all, though I think she's secretly hoping that Bill and Fleur really are dating. She's been bugging Bill to get married for what seems like ages.

Mum hasn't mentioned the Daily Prophet all day, so the twins must be at ease. I think that George knows it's only a matter of time before someone finds out. Little do they know, someone already has found out, and that person is me. But the person giving them the money to make all of these joke products must know as well, so I guess I'm not the only one.

After lunch, the fun started. It turns out that Kreacher was hiding up in the attic all along. Sirius found him this afternoon, covered in dust and still wheezing about the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Sirius set him straight to work, even though Hermione wanted Kreacher to have a rest after his "frightening ordeal" in the attic.

"Oh, no, Kreacher will not listen to the Mudblood. Kreacher's mistress does not want Kreacher taking orders from the Mudblood." The house elf kept repeating those two sentences while Hermione tried to reason with Sirius to allow Kreacher to have a break.

A break from what, exactly? A break from insulting us during every waking moment of the day? A break from trying to steal things out of rubbish bags and junk piles? A break from being an annoyance to us all? It's not like he cleans anything, and how can you possibly get a break from something you don't even do in the first place?

Ah, well, Kreacher was the least of my problems today. It seems that there was another little Order meeting this afternoon, shortly after Kreacher was uncovered. Only a few members were present. Hermione, Ron, Harry, and I watched them walk through the hallway on their way to the kitchen for the meeting. I have a hunch that it's got something to do with that man, Broderick Bode, but I didn't want to say anything, because I might have been wrong.

Fred and George tried to use the old Extendables again, but Mum's smartened up a bit and put another charm on the door. They were put out for a few moments, and then they retreated to their bedroom. I heard them whispering about ways to improve the Extendable Ears so that they are able to slip through all sorts of the doors, even the charmed ones. I'm sure they'll be able to improve their clever invention.

Bill went out again just before dinner, claiming that he needed to meet Fleur back at work for another English lesson. I watched him leave the house before turning to Hermione and asking her what she thought about Bill and Fleur's relationship. She just huffed and said that it was just the veela charm getting to him.

I can only imagine a veela's effect on a man. At the Quidditch World Cup last summer, Harry and Ron nearly jumped from the top box when the veela were brought onto the field. But when the veela were angered, they started hurling fireballs at the leprechauns, so let's just hope that Bill doesn't get Fleur upset any time soon.

Dinner was simply superb. Loads of Order members were there tonight, so Mum made an excellent feast. There was plenty of talking and laughter in the kitchen. Tonks and Mundungus managed to stop by, so it was much louder than normal. Mum kept sending disapproving looks towards Dung, Ron, Fred, and George. She doesn't like Dung at all, as I mentioned, but he, along with Tonks, are rather entertaining, so I don't mind him a bit, even if he does smell like smoke a lot.

After dinner, it was just Hermione and I in the bedroom. She kept asking me if I thought Kreacher deserved a break after spending so much time lost in the attic, and I told her exactly what I think: that Kreacher went up to the attic to try and get away from us all, but Sirius found him in time. That only got Hermione worried that Kreacher was trying to leave the house to alert someone about the Order and Sirius. I used the same line about Dumbledore being the Secret Keeper, and that seemed to calm her down for a bit.

Then Hermione told me that she's getting rather annoyed at Ron, because he wins every bloody game of chess that he plays. She's been looking for magical books on chess, but there aren't any that she can find that are decent. Personally, I just think Hermione's upset that Ron is better at something than she is.

I don't want to admit it, but Hermione is certainly more intelligent then Ron when you start talking about schoolwork. I mean, I love my brother (as hard as that may be to believe), but Hermione's just got more brains than him, that's all.

Ugh. I'm so tired. I'll write more tomorrow.

-Ginny

* * *

I've returned from vacation. The hotel was disgusting, the people in the room next to us were drunk (one of the occupants threw up onto our balcony and my dad had to clean it up. Gross.), and I woke up the middle of the night with a freaking _cockroach_ on my pillow. But the beach was fantastic, it never rained, and I even won some cute stuffed animals from those crane machines that steal all your money.

Thanks so much for all of your reviews! I checked my e-mail daily on my mom's laptop while I was at Seaside, and I'm so glad that you all liked my chapters.

Special thanks to: **Kat, monketprobs, prongs-gurl202113, Harry's Kat, Machiavelli, Jr., Morei Sky, Alex202, and Jazipan** for reviewing. Lots of love!

I know that this entry was a little boring. I intended for it to be that way. You'll find out later though, and you'll find out faster if you do one thing:

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

-Rox


	59. August 27, 1995

August 27, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I woke up this morning, fully expecting today to be filled with boredom and worries. You know, all of the usual things that I've been writing about for the past week or so. In fact, when I did wake up this morning, all I wanted to do was roll back over in bed and fall asleep again.

Thank Merlin I decided to get out of bed this morning. If I had stayed in bed like I was planning on doing, I wouldn't have noticed the tawny owl sitting patiently on my window sill with a fat letter clutched in its beak.

And that tawny owl just happened to belong to Michael.

I started shaking from head to toe when I approached the window and opened it. The owl flew in, dropped the letter directly onto my pillow, and soared out the window again. I watched it fly off into the distance before pouncing on my bed, tackling the letter, and ripping open the envelope with my fingernails.

I nearly cried out at the top of my lungs when I read Michael's first sentence. "Ginny, guess what, I'm coming back to Hogwarts!" 

Hermione asked me who the letter was from, and I joyfully thrust it into her hands and instructed her to read the first sentence written on the parchment. She seemed genuinely happy for me for most of the morning, but after breakfast, she revealed to me that she was secretly worried about Harry.

Apparently, Harry has been spacing off frequently and he hasn't been really paying attention to conversations with Ron and Hermione. I listened to her pleas for a few minutes before coming to a conclusion: Harry is simply daydreaming about Hogwarts, since he was so worried about getting expelled earlier this summer.

Hermione asked me if I was positive about my answer, and, in turn, I asked her whether or not she would daydream about books if she thought she was about to be banned from the Hogwarts library. Her face paled after I asked her the question, and she accepted my answer and didn't mention Harry for the rest of the day.

Nothing really exciting happened during the morning, but once the afternoon came around, things started to get a little hectic. It seems that while everyone was downstairs in the kitchen peacefully eating lunch, Kreacher had been trying to break into mine and Hermione's bedroom! It seems that Hermione had been trying to give Kreacher a present, one of her new S.P.E.W. wool hats, and that had not settled well with that deluded house elf. He was trying to destroy the remainder of the hats hidden underneath her bed.

Sirius was absolutely furious with Kreacher, seeing as he had ordered the house elf to stay out of everyone's things. Kreacher is now banned from entering a bedroom that is not his own. And that got me thinking…Kreacher has a bedroom?

I mean, the house elf must sleep somewhere, but where exactly? Underneath Mrs. Black's portrait? In the cupboards? Or does Kreacher just wander around the place at all hours of the night without getting any rest at all? Hmmm…that's something to investigate during these last few days of the summer holidays. Perhaps I can get Hermione to help me.

Or maybe that would be a bad idea, because then she might try to hide some of her hats in Kreacher's bedroom for him to find. We definitely don't want Kreacher to be set free. Imagine a house elf like that, wandering the streets. Plus, he knows way too much about Sirius and the Order to be set free now.

Anyway, after lunch, Hermione and I went upstairs to make sure that everything was in its proper place after Kreacher's little "adventure". He didn't even manage to get into our room, so nothing was missing and everything was completely normal. I was a little nervous that he might have stolen this journal or something else, but everything was in its proper place, which was a great relief.

A few minutes after coming upstairs, we heard some noises coming from Buckbeak's bedroom. Sirius went in there to investigate, and it seems that Buckbeak was attempting to break out of his little bedroom. Sirius says that he's getting restless, since he's been cooped up inside the house for so long. So it seems that the hippogriff and I have something in common: we both want to get out of this bloody house as soon as humanly possible.

I stayed with Bucbeak for a few hours with Sirius to try and get him to calm down, but he still kept pecking at the little glass window in the corner of the room. Sirius fed him some dead rats and after a while, he fell asleep. I left after a few minutes of talking with Sirius, and I returned to my bedroom.

The summer is quickly coming to a close, and I'm just itching to get out of this house. I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts to start my fourth year. I'll get to see Michael, and all of my other friends that I've been deprived off all summer. I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy being in Hermione's company, because I really do, but I have other friends that I haven't seen since the end of term.

The school letters still haven't arrived yet. They usually come way before the end of summer holiday, right? So where are the letters? Hermione's desperate to find out who made Gryffindor prefects, so the sooner the letter comes, the sooner she'll now.

Oh. Dinner's being served. I'd better go.

Bye!

-Ginny

* * *

There you go. Another chapter. But I'm in a rush, so here's the thank-you's.

Cheers to: **Alex202, prongs-gurl202113, uasoccerbear08, Jazipan, Kat, and Teddy673**. Lots of love.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, but I really have to go.

Please, review. It means the world to me. I'm going through some rough times right now, and I just love to hear from all of my fantastic reviewers. It really means a lot to me.

-Rox


	60. August 28, 1995

August 28, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Ugh. Boredom has once again taken over my life at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London, England. There was no news about Broderick Bode, Kreacher didn't have any of his little outbursts, and Tonks couldn't stop by for dinner because she had to work overtime at the Auror headquarters.

So you're probably wondering how I wasted the day away if there wasn't anything super-exciting to do. Well, aside from the fact that I spent most of the day upstairs in my bedroom talking with Hermione, I've had a lot of time to think, so I took advantage of it all and took the time to do just that: think.

Think about what, you're probably asking right now. Really all I've been thinking of is every last thing that has happened so far during my stay here, in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Yes, I know. It's an awfully open subject and there certainly were plenty of things that fall into that category, but I was bored.

I've come to a conclusion, and I don't know why I haven't thought of this before, seeing as it was practically bouncing up and down in front of my face. This has probably been one of the most eventful summer holiday of my entire life, and I've spent ninety percent of it in this old house (I spent ten percent of my summer at the Burrow, remember? I only got to stay a few days in my own house). I even have obvious evidence to prove it.

Let's just recap all of the "exciting" things that happened to be. First, Percy calls Dad a traitor to the Ministry, packs his bags, and leaves for London. Then, I find out that Sirius Black is innocent, end up living in the same house with him, and am told about the Order of the Phoenix. After that, I am insulted repeatedly by a deranged lunatic house elf. Finally, Harry is attacked by dementors, narrowly escapes being expelled from Hogwarts, and stays with us once again.

And there are countless other things that happened in between those events, such as being scared that Michael wouldn't be coming back to Hogwarts and finally overcoming my nightmares about Riddle. I guess I never really took the time to realize that no matter how many times I was bored, this summer was packed with things that would have never happened to me, had I stayed at the Burrow (except for the whole Percy thing, because that was just bound to happen in due time).

Don't get me wrong here. I prefer the Burrow over this house any day, but I didn't really have a choice, now did I? It's not like Mum walked up to me after term ended and asked, "Do you mind if we all move to a dirty, infested house with a screaming portrait and a mad house elf?" Because if she had asked me that question, I would have certainly told her no.

And get this: if I had never come to stay here in London, I probably wouldn't have ever met Tonks. Ever. Then I wouldn't haven't known what a Metamorphagus was, and I wouldn't have anything to laugh at during dinner (unless Fred or George were putting beetles in someone's soup or something like that). So yes, I suppose that coming to stay in this house wasn't a mistake, as I was thinking it was back at the beginning of the summer holidays.

Basically I spent my entire day either talking to Hermione, playing a game of chess with Ron (and losing), watching Harry lose to Ron at a game of chess, or thinking. Even meals were boring today: Fred and George didn't have to save the Daily Prophet from Mum at breakfast, Kreacher didn't try to break into anyone's bedroom during lunch, and practically no one from the Order was attending dinner.

Just about the only exciting thing that happened to be today was getting an extra-long letter from Michael. In it, he told me how scared he was about not being able to come back to Hogwarts this term. "I was so afraid that I wouldn't be able to see you again." That got me thinking about a few things….

Am I the only reason that Michael goes to school? That's the way he put it in this last latter. I mean, he has friends in Ravenclaw, and he doesn't get to see me every hour of every school day, so he must go to school for his friends and his education, right? I guess that because I'm his girlfriend, he feels obligated to say those kinds of things to me. Don't get me wrong or anything. I think it's sweet. But I don't want Michael failing himself out of Hogwarts because he thinks of me while he's supposed to be doing his homework or studying for an exam.

Michael continued to write that his mother has started hiding the Daily Prophet from his father, because the rumors and the lies about Dumbledore are only getting larger and larger as the days go on. Apparently, Mrs. Corner is afraid that her husband will change his mind and keep Michael home from Hogwarts this year after all. I wrote back quickly, reminding him to encourage his mother to hide the newspaper.

I know it's wrong, but I really want to see Michael again. We barely spent any time together, seeing as we only started going out towards the end of term. But I do believe that Mrs. Corner will be successful in keeping the newspaper hidden from Mr. Corner.

These last few days of the summer holiday seem to last forever. I thought that today most have surely been a whole lot longer than twenty-four hours! It seemed like fifty! I guess that time flies slowly when you're desperately losing a game of chess against your older brother. I'm surprised that Harry hasn't beaten Ron yet; he's actually a decent chess player, but I guess that Ron's just a little bit better.

That's all for today. God, I hope that the rest of the holiday isn't as boring as today was.

Good night, dear journal.

-Ginny

* * *

I'm updating early today, aren't I? It's just about8:30 in themorning where I live, so it's early for me, I suppose. 

First off, I would like to thank my fantastic reviewers. You guys are just great. Here you go:

**Jazipan:** Thanks! It is hard, but I'm trying my best.

**Monketprobs:** Yes, Ginny gets her boyfriend back! Hooray, LOL

**Kat:** Wow, thanks! Hope you liked this chapter.

**Machiavelli, Jr.:** Thank you so much for your review. I'm trying to fit Kreacher in as much as possible.

Oh, my! This story is coming to a close! I will only be writing entries up to September 1st, then after that, the story will be…over. I swear, I'm going to cry as soon as I update the last chapter of this story.

Anyway, I have some announcements.

**Puddlemere Night Stand has been abandoned.**

I know, I promised that I wouldn't let it just sit there, but I've lost all inspiration for the story, and it just seems like I can't write anymore with the plotline. So I'm terribly sorry for everyone who enjoyed that story. It's the writer's block, I swear.

But, anyway, I recently struck plotline gold last night. I thought of this amazing story, even though it's probably been done time after time. It's going to be called "Black Ice" and it will feature Draco's daughter, Thalia, and Harry's son, Anthony.

I will be posting the first chapter of "Black Ice" on September 1st.

Anyway, back to "Hear My Voice".

Please, please, please review. I don't think I'll be making my 600-review goal, but you can help me reach 500 reviews by the last chapter, okay?

Please review. I can't tell you how much it means to me.

Love,

Rox


	61. August 29, 1995

August 29, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

I'm starting to get a little worried. Our Hogwarts letters have yet to arrive. They're usually already here by now, because I honestly don't remember ever getting my Hogwarts letter this late in the summer. They usually arrive at the end of July or at the beginning of August and not just a few days before term starts. Maybe Professor McGonagall is busy or something…I've seen her coming to some Order meetings lately…perhaps she just doesn't have the time to write out hundreds of letters just yet.

I mean, there isn't anything life-changing in my Hogwarts letter. I'm just worrying for the sake of Hermione. She's been going stir crazy, trying to figure out who's going to be awarded with the prefect badges this year. She won't listen to reason, so she obviously thinks that Lavender Brown or Parvati Patil is going to be the next Gryffindor prefect. But who in their right mind would choose a giggling, boy-crazy girl as a prefect? I don't spend that much time with Lavender and Parvati, but just from what I've seen…even I wouldn't trust either of them as a prefect. But enough about prefect badges. I'm just hoping that our Hogwarts letters come soon because Mum's going to have to go out and buy all of these books, right before term starts. I've given up all hope of going to Diagon Alley this year, so I'm not even going to ask if I can accompany her.

This morning was certainly…eventful. It seems that Kreacher is up to his old tricks again. Sirius found him snooping through the rubbish bin in the kitchen before breakfast. The house elf claims that he was just looking for any wasted food (ha!), we all know the truth. Kreacher was looking for more Black artifacts that we may have thrown out. The little elf doesn't seem to have realized that we've stopped cleaning the house a while ago.

I was surprised when I found Tonks sitting at the table for breakfast this morning. She told me that she had been working overnight at the Ministry and decided to pop in for some of Mum's delicious food. Kingsley Shacklebolt was there was well, so they must have been working on something together at the Auror headquarters. But I was disappointed when I realized that Professor Lupin wasn't down at breakfast. I started asking where he was, but then Hermione nudged me and told me that it was the full moon tonight.

After breakfast, I asked Hermione if I could read her Daily Prophet, but I made sure that Fred and George were within earshot as I spoke. Fred nearly jumped out of his seat at the table, but George grabbed his arm and whispered something in his ear. I've come to the conclusion that the twins trust me to keep a secret. It feels gratifying, yet strange at the same time. I have yet to decide if I'm going to tell them about me seeing the advertisement.

Anyway, the newspaper is filled with little snide jokes about Harry. No, they aren't on the front page or anything, but they're slipped in between all the other stories. There was an article about this one man who cursed himself with a dangerous hex and then managed to perform an anti-spell all on his own. The writers at the newspaper said this: "Let's hope he doesn't have a scar, or else we'll be asked to worship him next."

I think that's going way over the edge. Since when has Harry asked anyone, anyone, to worship him just because he has a scar? When has he asked for any special recognition because he's the Boy-Who-Lived? Never. And these people at the Prophet are making Harry seem like some kind of idiot who wants attention for himself at all hours of the day, which Harry most certainly does not want.

There were some cracks about Dumbledore being old and senile as well, and I nearly threw the newspaper across the bedroom. These people have no respect whatsoever to perhaps the most powerful wizard to ever live (taking aside You-Know-Who, of course, because he's quite powerful as well). It's disgusting. Now I know why Mum canceled our subscription to this newspaper. It's filled with lies, rumors, and insults.

Of course, I skipped right to the advertisement section and I found the same one for Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. It's the same exact advertisement as before, and I'm starting to think that the twins have been running their little mail-order thing all summer long. They've been doing it right under everyone's nose, too. Leave it to Fred and George to take any measure possible to keep something a secret.

After I read the newspaper, I gave it back to Hermione. I asked her why she even bothered to read the horrible things they're writing about Harry and Dumbledore, but all she said is that she wants to be "up to date" on the news in the wizarding world. She reassured me that she doesn't believe a word of the lies that the Daily Prophet is printing. I don't know about her, but I doubt I'll ever read that newspaper again unless they straighten up their act, open their eyes, and see that yes, You-Know-Who is really back and he's a threat to us all.

I've been feeling so anxious lately, it's almost scaring me. I suppose it's because the new term will be starting up in just a few days, but I think I'm excited that I'll be able to leave this forsaken house, as well. But I've started to think about what Sirius will do once we all leave. Will he just stay here, alone most of the time, or will he moved somewhere else for a while? Or did Dumbledore refuse to let Sirius leave at all?

I'll definitely say goodbye to Sirius on September first. I know I'll miss his little jokes about Kreacher and his barking laugh. To think that I had thought that man a murderer since my second year, when in fact he's innocent.

The rest of my day was actually quite boring. I played a few games of chess with Ron, losing to him every time of course. I started to pack up my things in my Hogwarts trunk after lunch, only to discover that Hermione's got all of her things packed already. The twins and I tried to listen into an Order meeting before dinner, but Mum's gone and charmed the door again, so we gave up. And dinner wasn't anything exciting either, because Tonks had to go back to the Ministry and hardly any Order members were in attendance.

Surprisingly, I'm dead tired at the moment, even though I didn't really do anything today. But I'd better get to sleep.

Good night,

-Ginny

* * *

Only three more entries, and then this story is over! Please help me reach at least 500 reviews!

Cheers to my reviewers: **prongs-gurl202113, Jazipan, Machiavelli, Jr., Kat, and Alex202.** Lots of love!

I don't really have a lot to write here, except for this.

If you read a chapter, please review! It only takes a few seconds just to say "hey, great chapter"! I've gotten over 12,500 hits on my story, so I know that I can get more reviews. I don't want to bet, but I at least want to reach 500 by the end of this story, which is on September first. So please, if you read it, review it!

Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? Did you like it? Was it great? Tell me, please, it means so much to me.

3 Rox


	62. August 30, 1995

August 30, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

Today has been rather interesting. Actually, interesting doesn't even begin to some up how my day went, but that's the only word I can think of at the moment. I guess I should start from the beginning, because you're probably very confused right now, am I correct?

The day started out innocently enough. I awoke early, mostly because I had so much energy built up in my body for some reason or another. I headed down to the kitchen and I overheard a hushed conversation between Mum, Dad, and Tonks about Broderick Bode, but I didn't obtain any new information.

Breakfast was shortened because Mrs. Figg stopped by for a little report of Harry's relatives, the Dursleys. Mum sent us all upstairs, and I spent most of the morning in my bedroom, talking with Hermione about prefects, Kreacher, and Michael (who didn't write me a letter today, just let you all know). I listened to the Peaceful Valley song for a while, because I was trying to have a peaceful day, but as you will soon find out, my day was anything but peaceful.

Mum called us all down for lunch a bit late, probably because Mrs. Figg's meeting went overtime or something. Hermione and I were about halfway down the staircase when I heard Fred and George arguing about something in their bedroom. I decided to investigate, though I didn't tell Hermione any of this. I told her that I would be downstairs in a few minutes. She looked suspicious, but she left, and I waited until she was safely in the kitchen before turning around and heading for Fred and George's bedroom.

I hovered outside the door for a few moments so that I could get an idea of what the twins were talking about. George was saying something about them being swamped with orders and Fred was saying something about wanting to expand the advertisements a bit more. I leaned against the door to try and get a view into the room, but I guess I leaned a bit too hard, because the door swung open seconds later to reveal Fred and George staring at me in bewilderment.

I didn't know what to do! For a few seconds, I wondered if I could just run downstairs and pretend that this entire situation never happened. But I squared my shoulders, marched into the room, plopped myself down on a bed, and demanded to be told everything about Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.

Of course, the twins pretended that they had no idea what I was talking about. I sent them a few "I'll tell Mum if you don't" looks, so I guess they had no choice but to tell me. Fred sat down on one side and George sat down on the other. The first question I asked was, "Who's giving you the money?" We were silent for a few minutes before Fred took a deep breath and told me exactly who was giving them the gold to start their joke shop. And guess who it is? Just guess.

Harry.

Yes, you heard it here first! Harry gave his Triwizard Tournament winnings to Fred and George right before we all left for the Burrow after term ended this year. I nearly died of shock. Does Harry know how much trouble he'll get into if Mum ever finds out that he was the one who allowed Fred and George to pursue their joke shop business dreams? I couldn't speak. I just stared at the twins, wondering what I should ask next.

George made me swear that I wouldn't tell a single soul about Harry and the gold, and I had no choice but to promise him that I would keep my mouth shut. But I swear, I can never look at Harry the same way again. I mean, I always knew that Harry had a load of gold left over from his parents, but I never assumed that he would just give away a thousand Galleons to the twins, just like that.

I told the twins that I saw the advertisement in the Daily Prophet, and they didn't seem too surprised about that. Fred mentioned about how he always thought I was a clever one, and that he could trust me with almost anything. George was about to tell me something when there was a knock on the door.

It was Mum, wondering when we were going to go down to lunch. We all filed down the stairs silently, and I didn't meet anyone's eyes as I took a seat at the kitchen table. But I did sneak a little peek at Harry, and I don't think he has any idea that anyone knows he gave his gold to Fred and George. Of course, I'm not going to tell him that the twins told me. What kind of sister would I be, betraying Fred and George's trust like that?

The rest of the day went by in a whirlwind. I just couldn't stop thinking about Fred, George, Harry, and the thousand Galleons that are now being used in a joke shop. Honestly, I don't have anything against Harry because of what he did, but I've been wondering. Will Mum be upset if she finds out Harry's been finically backing the twins all along? She considers him one of her own sons, but still…she never wanted Fred and George to start a joke shop. In fact, she's against the entire idea.

Tonks wasn't at dinner, again. I think she's still working overtime at the Ministry. I hope that I get to see her before term starts. I just want to talk to her one last time before I go back to school. Maybe she has some advice for me. She always seems to have something clever or amusing to say.

It's very late now, but I don't think I'll be able to get any sleep. Let's just hope that Mum never finds out about Harry giving away his prize money to Fred and George. I think she'll blow her top, regardless of how much she likes Harry as a son.

Good night!

* * *

-Ginny

Yes, ladies and gentleman…GINNY KNOWS ABOUT HARRY AND THE GOLD!

I wish I could say more here, but I really can't. I'm tired! I'm going to fall asleep right here.

Cheers to all my reviewers. I don't have enough time to thank all of you! Lots of love!

Please, tell me how I did. Was it too short? Was it okay? Tell me!

-Rox


	63. August 31, 1995

August 31, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place

My, my. Today has been one of my busiest days yet! Well, of course it was busy, seeing as today is the last day of the summer holidays. But I never expected it to be so full of activity. I'll start from the beginning. Yes, that's a great place to start.

Hermione anxiously pacing the room awakened me this morning. I asked her what was wrong without even opening my eyes, because for some reason, I figured that she was worried about the Hogwarts letters, and sure enough, that's exactly what she was worried about. She was wringing her hands and talking to herself, and I admit that I got a bit concerned.

Breakfast was silent. And when I say silent, I mean silent. It seemed that the only sound was that of clinking glasses and plates as Mum fed us her delicious food. I caught Fred and George shooting me a few looks, but I sent them my own look that should have said, yeah, you can trust me, don't worry about a thing. Hermione went pale when Mum sent us all upstairs until lunch.

A few minutes after Hermione and I settled down in our bedroom, someone knocked on our door. I stood up to answer it, and it was Ron. He was holding our Hogwarts letters! Hermione ripped her own letter out of my hand, and she was reading her letter before I even got the chance to open my envelope. I turned around for a moment, but when I heard a loud squeal, I knew exactly what had happened.

I turned back around to see Hermione holding up a scarlet and gold Gryffindor prefect badge. She was flushed with happiness. I'm so excited for her. This is exactly what she's been wanting since her first year, she told me, and now it's "a dream come true!" She bustled out of the room to go see about Harry and Ron, leaving me in the bedroom alone.

I only need two new books for the school year. One's a spell book, and the other is a Defense Against the Dark Arts book, meaning that Dumbledore found a replacement for Moody. I bet it's someone from the Ministry, but I have no idea who would want to take the jinxed DADA teaching post.

Anyway, ten minutes after Hermione left, she returned, holding Hedwig in her hands. She looked slightly harassed, and I asked her what had happened. I froze in shock when she explained.

Ron is the other Gryffindor prefect.

Yes, you heard me correctly. My brother, Ronald Weasley, has been named Gryffindor prefect opposite Hermione. I was sure that Dumbledore would pick Harry, but no. He chose Ron instead. What is this world coming to?

I don't mean to sound rude or anything. I love my brother, even though he annoys me sometimes, but he hasn't done anything spectacular, like Harry has, and he certainly isn't as clever and smart as Hermione is. Why chose Ron as a prefect? There's got to be a logical reason behind all of this.

Hermione told me that she thought Dumbledore was bound to pick Harry as prefect, not Ron. She relayed to me the embarrassing story about how she had thought Harry really had become prefect, because he was holding Ron's badge. She reckons that Ron's a bit cross with her now, because of that, but I told Hermione not to worry about it. She left me alone after that because she was writing to her parents to tell her the great news.

Mum went to Diagon Alley (I asked her if I could come along, but she said no) to get all of our books, and guess what? She's buying Ron a broomstick as a reward for becoming prefect! That lucky prat. I suppose he won't be getting an expensive broomstick or anything like that, but I'm still a bit jealous. I've always wanted my own broomstick, even though my brothers never really let me play Quidditch with them.

Don't tell anyone, but…back at the Burrow, I always sneak into the broomstick shed and take out everyone's broomstick in turn. I've been doing it since I've been six years old, and no one except for Hermione knows about it. I can trust her to not tell my brothers about stealing their broomsticks from time to time. I think.

Anyway, lunch was rather boring, seeing as we were left to fend for ourselves while Mum went out shopping. Fred and George were sending Ron disgusted looks as she turned his prefect badge over and over in his hand. They think that being a prefect is a waste of time, so I can see why they're not too fond of Ron becoming one. After all, he's the fourth prefect in the family. I don't suppose they're jealous, but…there's always a possibility.

Mum planned a little party for Ron and Hermione during dinner. It seemed that all the Order members were there, including Tonks. I made a streamline towards her and I made sure that I said next to her during the meal.

Ron was walking around most of the time, showing off his new broomstick to anyone who would listen. Sirius, Tonks, Hermione, and I were all talking about past prefects. It turns out that Professor Lupin was a prefect back in his days at Hogwarts! I couldn't help but notice that Harry seemed a bit glum throughout the entire party. I guess that he's disappointed about not becoming a prefect. I saw Moody pull him aside for a moment, and then after that, he went to talk with Fred and George. They were whispering about something, and I'm assuming that it had something to do with the joke shop gold.

Mum disappeared after the party to go take care of the boggart upstairs (Moody looked up there himself with his magical eye to make sure it was a boggart in the writing desk in the drawing room). I heard her crying upstairs afterwards, so I'm assuming she had a bit of a fright or something. I haven't seen her since.

I'm full to the brim of food and laughter, and seeing as tomorrow is the first day of term, I really should be getting to bed.

Good night!

-Ginny

* * *

Oh my god. The next chapter will be the last entry! It's so sad…so sad…

Cheers to my reviewers. I really don't have enough time to check my e-mail, so I'm sorry. But next chapter, I will thank each and every one of you personally. Lots of love, and keep reviewing!

Please tell me how I did. And review! That's what counts the most.

Love,

Rox


	64. September 1, 1995

September 1, 1995, The Hogwarts Express

This will be my last entry. Perhaps I will start another journal later on in the school year, or maybe even next summer, but for now, this is it. I assure you, I have plenty to tell you today. I'll start from the beginning, all right?

I was awakened early (again!) by Mum having a loud screaming match with Mundungus Fletcher. It seems he was trying to sneak in more of those stolen cauldrons I was telling you about earlier this summer. Hermione was already up, so I talked to her for a few minutes before lugging my school trunk into the hallway.

Well, I was trying to get down to the living room, where Moody was telling me to put my trunk, but I didn't get there by walking. Before I even left the hallway…BAM! Two heavily loaded trunks slammed directly into me, and I saw a glimpse of two tall figures with bright red hair before tumbling down two flights of stairs. I had no idea what was going on, and I must admit, I was pretty scared for a second or two.

Turns out that Fred and George had bewitched their school trunks to fly downstairs into the living room so they wouldn't have to make the trip, but the trunks hit me instead. As soon as I landed, Mum came running, and I don't think I've seen her yell at Fred and George like that in a long time.

Mum patched me up within a few seconds, but her shouting at gotten Mrs. Black all riled up, so she, in turn, started screeching at the Order members who had gathered to escort us to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Actually, I believe they were only there because Harry was with us, but that's an entirely different story.

Moody was complaining about a man called Sturgis Podmore being late for guard duty again, and that he'll be reported to Dumbledore. I didn't see Broderick Bode, and I didn't see Tonks at first, but Mum told me that she would be meeting us later on.

Mum told Sirius that he wasn't allowed to come. I'm assuming that Dumbledore told him that even going out in his dog form is dangerous. But Sirius wouldn't listen, and in the end, Mum let him go, but only after telling him that if he got caught, it would be on his own head.

Harry left the house with Mum, Ron and Hermione went with Dad, and then Professor Lupin took Fred, George, and I. Once we got through to the platform, we all took our luggage and said our farewells. Tonks hugged me goodbye and promised me that she would keep in touch. Mum ushered all of us on the train, and we started our journey to Hogwarts.

Ron and Hermione announced that they had to go to the prefect carriage to receive their instructions from the Head Boy and Girl, and that left Harry and me. Alone.

I was just about to go off to see which compartment Michael was in, but I felt a surge of pity for Harry. I don't know what came over me, but I suggested that the both of us go find seats. Together. He must have been so surprised, because I don't usually spend a lot of time with him.

Yeah, I knew that I should have gone in search of Michael, but Harry looked so…upset…that he might have to travel on the train alone. So forgive me for my kind deed.

We walked along each compartment, and I couldn't help but notice that everyone was staring at Harry as we passed. No doubt it was because of what the Daily Prophet's been saying about him. Anyway, we ended up sharing a compartment with Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw in my year.

Let's just say that Luna is very…different. She recognized Harry, of course, the instant that he sat down across from her, but other than that, she kept to herself. She was reading that rubbish magazine, the Quibbler. Turns out that her father's the editor. No surprise there.

Neville brought out some sort of gray cactus that he got for his birthday over the summer. I don't remember the name, but it started with an m, and when Neville poked the cactus, loads of smelly, green Stinksap sprayed all over the compartment. I managed to throw my arms in front of my face in time, so the sap only got in my hair, and Luna had her magazine to protect her, but Harry and Neville were soaked in it. The entire compartment smelled like dung, and guess who should walk in at this precise moment?

That Ravenclaw girl, Cho Chang. Yeah. The one that Harry practically adores, according to Hermione.

Harry had to wipe some sap off of his glasses in order to see who was speaking to him. He turned bright red as soon as he realized that it was Cho. After she left, he looked like he regretted ever taking a compartment with Neville, Luna, and I, which I thought was rather rude. It's not our fault that the cactus has defense mechanisms that involve spraying Stinksap on the attackers!

Anyway, I cleaned up the mess in the end, and within seconds, the compartment was back to its usual sparkling state. Harry was quite for the rest of the hour, during which we ate Pumpkin Pasties and swapped Chocolate Frog cards. Luna continued reading her magazine, so she didn't pay too much attention to us.

We're still riding along to Hogwarts. It's rather difficult trying to write on a moving train, but I'm faring just fine. Ron and Hermione have just joined us, and they're relating stories about the prefect carriage. It seems that Draco Malfoy's made Slytherin prefect, along with that cow, Pansy Parkinson. Harry didn't seem too happy about that.

I can hardly believe that summer is finally over. I mean, I've been wishing to get out of 12 Grimmauld Place for ages, but right now, it seems that I'm going to miss Kreacher, and strangely, Mrs. Black's yelling portrait waking me up every morning. It sounds very odd, I know, but it's true, all at the same time.

I've just realized that I'm about to embark upon my fourth year at Hogwarts. I'll get to see Michael and all of my other friends, and I'll learn new things, and I'll see what the war decides to bring the wizarding world. I've experienced so much this summer, and I just hope that the school year is just as exciting as the holidays were.

I think that's a lovely note to end on, don't you think? It's all about new beginnings.

I shall write again, eventually, my dear Journal, but for now, I guess this is good-bye.

-Ginny

* * *

Ginny Weasley quietly closed the cover of her journal and ran her fingers over the leather cover. No one seemed to be taking notice of her, so she took advantage of the lull in the conversation to stealthily slip the little book behind her. She felt a slight sense of sorrow at the thought that she wouldn't be writing in it for a long time. 

She looked up from her hands just in time to see Ron do a rather funny impression of Gregory Goyle, one of Draco Malfoy's goons. Everyone laughed, and even though Luna was laughing the hardest, it was _Harry's_ laughter that reached Ginny's ears. She was puzzled for a moment…why on Earth would Harry's laughter seem to ring out above all the rest.

As Ginny sank back against her seat, she closed her eyes and relaxed against the soft material. For the first time in a long while, she felt at peace with the world. But she couldn't help but wonder…did Harry hear _her_ voice just as strongly as she heard his?

* * *

Oh my god. It's over. I can't believe it. My eyes are tearing up as I type this. I swear, as soon as I'm done writing this author's note, I'm going to go get a huge tub of ice cream and cry. 

First of all, I would like to thank every last person who reviewed my story. You have no idea how much this means to me. And guess what? My father finally got a job this morning, after months of waiting. I couldn't be happier than I am right now, and it's because I've had so many reviews to keep my going.

So here we go. Cheers to:

**Jazipan, Machiavelli, Jr., Ronniekinzluvr, Kat, prongsgurl202113, Little Writer Girl, Alex202, someone, Bel-Halliwell, wannabeweasley, Crazy Girl Sarah, monketprobs, teddy673, uasoccerbear08, Harry's Kat, Morei Sky, harryz babi, Darache, steele-2006-294, fatalgambler, AureliaSea13, kittyatza, lela grrl, Lyra Sakura, sandshark, maraudersprincess, Yasona Black, Gonzo the English Maestro, Indis the name harrys the game, AHRTCCKD, da idiot, mingingbent, scarsoflife, FrogsofChocolate, Bri McPoopers, Freja Lerke-Falkenborg, Slytherin Girl Gryffindor Girl, kiddykidkid, TitanTammy32, swoosh, erin, hillela, Siriusly Pranked, biya, IamSiriusgrl, dreamweaves, Dream Phantom, Emma, BabeBunny, RavenclawStudent2006, Alastar Dunkirk, twilliams1797, Rogue200315, tree stump, Billycan, Faerex, Padfoot Gal, MarliS, Draco'sBrokenAngel, metalmarc, heiel3, torn between, girlforeverlost,** **ravenclawgenius, and Islander2.**

Wow. That's a lot of reviewers! Everyone who's reviewed gets three cookies!

So this is it. I've reached the end. I hope that everyone enjoyed this story! Lots of love to everyone reading this.

Black Ice, my next story project, will be up within a few hours, so check for that soon.

So, goodbye, my fantastic Hear My Voice readers. I had so much fun writing this, and I hope you had just as much fun reading this.

Love forever,

Roxy Black


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